What it is Like To be in an Art Show

By Meybel Guzman, Graphic Artist

I have always been interested in art since I was a child; like many other kids, I would draw for fun. For me, drawing was a way to express my thoughts, and the things that I observed in the world. You can bring a blank sheet of paper to life with a pencil and your imagination. 

The more I drew and colored, the more progress I would see. Classmates would compliment my drawings and it motivated me to keep on drawing. Regardless of what they thought, I would have kept doing it, because it is something that I enjoyed doing. 

I always liked the environment of art shows. There is an inviting warmth to them that make me feel at ease. I like being surrounded by art and looking at it and trying to interpret it. It brings to me a childlike wonderment and curiosity. it makes me feel in awe of what others can create.

It is an honor for my work to be showcased in an art show. When you work on a project that you have been doing for so long, and put so much effort into, you want to show it to people, and you want it to be appreciated. There is always an extensive process behind the outcome that people don’t see. 

I became aware of the opportunity for students to participate in the upcoming Student Art Show late last semester by Professor Omori. She likes to push her students to show their work and be more involved in art activities. It was an optional opportunity to submit our art to the show. I worked extremely hard on the artworks and I wanted to be in the show. 

I felt very proud of my work because the results exceeded my expectations. Afterall, my artworks were just hanging in my room, collecting dust. I think a more appropriate setting for them would be in a gallery where other people can look at them. 

I submitted three artworks for the show. 

Artworks:

“The Predictor” (Giorgio de Chirico replica) Spring 2019, black and white acrylic paint

  

“Porcelain Bathroom” Fall 2018, charcoal and white chalk on charcoal paper

“The Unimpressed Empress” Spring 2019, cut and paste, black and gray painted paper

The works were then candidates to be in the show. The requirements of the art show were that the art pieces needed to be from a school project from an art class such as Drawing or Design. 

Months later, I got an email from the art director, Kris Larson, that my three works were accepted. I had to take them to a shop to be professionally matted, to have them ready for display. 

This was not the first time my work was displayed in the art gallery. I had my digital work exhibited in the school’s art gallery for the Visual Communications Spring 2019 Art Show. The exhibit was strictly for graphic design and animation work done at school. I am in the graphic design program at the school, and I had some digital works that I wanted to show. The show was also voluntary, but I reveled in four of my best works, to show the progress that I made in the year. I had to get the digital work professionally printed and had to mat them so they could be presentable for the art show. The exhibit primarily focused on senior student’s work, that were ready for graduation. 

This was the first time any of my work was in an exhibit, so it felt good to have my work displayed for other people to see. It represented all the progress and skills that I learned in the graphic design program. 

I felt more excited about the most recent student art show, because I got to showcase my traditional art. I physically made the artworks, rather than the use of a computer program for the work, like in the Visual Communications show. 

The physicality of making artwork is more enjoyable for me. You get your hands dirty and use different mediums and materials. A person puts their own unique touch to the art rather than using a preset that a program has. I enjoy both traditional and digital art, but it is relieving to not have to look at a computer screen. 

The student art show had its reception at the gallery on September 4th, where all the artists, faculty, and students gathered. The show had a judge that chose, in what his opinion, were the best art pieces in the gallery. Three student winners received a cash prize. 

The crowd was smaller than what I imagined, but after all, it was just the second week of school, and people may have not heard about it. It was great to see the artists next to their artwork. People were looking, admiring, and reacting to the work, which is what the show is about–to see something from a different perspective and to see the talent and execution of the artist’s work.

Even though I did not win a prize, I still feel appreciative of the experience. I worked extremely hard on the art pieces and I am satisfied with their results, and that is all that matters. I am still am humbly proud of my works and what I accomplished with them.