One of Cal State Long Beach’s greatest treasures is hidden in the Horn Center. It is the University Art Museum (UAM), which not only displays a number of professional artists throughout the year, but also hosts an outstanding annual student exhibit.
“Insights 2007,” which will run from May 3 until June 3, showcases the artwork of 77 different graduate and undergraduate students and displays 88 pieces of art. The artwork that is displayed includes paintings, new media, printmaking, photography, metal work, textiles, ceramics, graphic design and sculpture, said UAM assistant director Ilee Kaplan.
All of the work is from student submissions and then a group that art department faculty members choose that they feel should be displayed. At this year’s reception, 61 awards were given to the artists, Kaplan said.
Arian Franz won two awards from the Fine Arts Affiliates Scholarship for two very different types of art. One of the pieces, “Psapp. #1,” is a video being played on a television in the main room. She writes the words and does artwork to follow the song that is in the background. Her other award-winning piece is a large oil-on-canvas self-portrait.
The exhibit displays a range of work from acrylic ink such as Jennifer Cotterill’s award-winning “Ms. Sara Rowdy” to the digital photography and light box with tropical sounds named “Import” by Sierra Brown. One of the largest pieces is a charcoal on paper called “Nefarious 2” by Giovanni Francisco, which stands around eight feet tall. Not only does the paper have work on it, but the paper itself is in a sculpture.
Shadi Seyedyousef is an education major who works at the UAM. The piece that she loves is called “As Close as I Will Ever Get.” This sculpture piece is simply two used toothbrushes touching and standing up in a display case. It is so simple yet says so much. Another one of her favorite pieces is a dress made entirely out of recycled plastic bags.
Will Laaser is an art student whose major is photography. The piece that caught his eye and that of Seyedyousef is the acrylic on panel called “The Evolution of Undocumented Immigrant” by Eduardo Gomez. This piece received the University Student Union Purchase Award. Though it is one of the more political pieces in the showcase, it is also one of the most admired.
Laaser feels that the work being displayed is “too obscure and edgy” and would have liked to see more painting, drawing and photography. This is not his first exhibit, but he thinks that the work this year is better than last year.
The work on display is a great resource to the school, because it not only provides the artists with exposure but also gives potential students a glance at the work that they could learn from at CSULB.
The exhibit runs Tuesday through Sunday from 12-5 and Thursday from 12-8 and is free to all visitors.
