By Britten Kai Stark
The BCC gallery space is a little place, with little publicity, but hosts a wide variety of art shows each year.
Work created by BCC’s art faculty and staff is currently on display, and will be until October 25. This exhibit showcases work created outside of the classroom for students, faculty, staff, and the general public to enjoy.
During the library renovation, the small space that formally served as the art gallery was displaced.
BCC was supportive of creating a dedicated space for art on campus, said Dale Lindman, Art department faculty. The college offered a classroom on the far end of campus for the gallery.
“The purpose is to have art available to the community, students, and faculty,” said Lindman, who designed the gallery space with the help of an architect.
What the gallery lacks in size, it makes up for in design. Large rotating walls can be moved to change the atmosphere of the room and accommodate a variety of works.
2D and 3D works are displayed in the faculty gallery. Some of the works are best viewed from a distance to see details that may otherwise be missed, explained Ruth Andersen, gallery assistant.
This show has utilized the movable walls to allow space to look at the art from further away, but future shows may require a different arrangement.
The next show at the gallery will be presented by Julia Haacke and Tom Gormally, professional sculptors.
In early May, gallery proposal applications are submitted to a committee of faculty and students for consideration. Individual artists and groups may apply, but of key concern is having enough art to fill the gallery, said Lindman.
Generally, shows are selected based on the diversity of artworks, mediums and disciplines, as well as educational benefits. However, what is chosen for display also depends on what is submitted for consideration, said Lindman.
The student show, which is held once a year in late spring and summer, is a showcase of the work of BCC art students. Art teachers select works from their students and recommend them for display, said Lindman.
“If you had a total student gallery, that’d be a great thing to have in addition to another gallery,” said Lindman.
Since most of the art classes at BCC are introductory classes, there is not enough work to continuously fill a gallery with student work.
The art on display not only serves to highlight student work, but it serves as a teaching tool for BCC classes.
“It’s kinda cool to see other people’s expressions,” said Justin Clark, a first year BCC student and musician.
He walks past the gallery on his way to class and hopes to look at the faculty exhibit soon.