Student projects  represent earth preservation

The Preserving the eARTh exhibit, presented April 19 through April 29 in the Fiskum Gallery, exposes how artwork can be influenced and impacted by the environmental awareness of Earth Day.

Art Director Michael Flanagan helped organize the event this year. The event will feature artwork from faculty members Theresa Faris, Rene Melton, Michael Banning and Bethann Moran-Handzlik. The faculty members also chose art selections from their students to be displayed in the exhibit.

“Each faculty member chose student projects that did something in their artwork that represented the theme of preserving the earth,” Flanagan said.

The gallery has a wide range of art pieces, such as water-colored paintings, canvas artwork, and artwork made with salvaged and recycled materials.

“Earth Day brings awareness to many local environmental issues and the exhibit can show how artwork can be a reminder of spreading that awareness in a creative way,” Flanagan said.

Multimedia Digital Arts major Hayley Bolinder has two pieces of work on display in the exhibit. Bolinder created a unique poster and an accordion book displaying artwork made up of recycled materials such as Post-It notes and McDonald’s supplies.

“The art exhibit shows that artwork doesn’t have to strictly just be art materials, it really can just be anything to deliver a creative message,” Bolinder said.

Graphic Design major Nicole MacMartin also has a selection in the exhibit. MacMartin created a sewn drawing using recycled materials of fabric.

“Artwork can be a universal communicator to speak about the awareness and appreciation of Earth Day,” MacMartin said.

MacMartin’s artwork was inspired by her research of fiber arts and her studying of plants.

“Earth Day means what we can do now in the 21st century to preserve our planet and art work can correlate in a creative way how preserving the earth can relate to artwork by using these recycled materials,” MacMartin said.

The exhibit will present roughly 30 pieces of artwork this year.

“It’s really an awesome feeling having my work in the exhibit this year. People can take away a creative idea from the exhibit and generate conversation about what Earth Day means to them through the pieces of artwork,” MacMartin said.

A reception will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday.

Faculty members and many of the student artists will be present to answer questions about the gallery selections.

The reception will also feature a performance by Susan Chandler’s String Tech class. The event is free and open to anyone.