King Exhibition, Open Studios and the 欧美口爆视频 Art Museum create a synergy of art

Next Thursday, April 13, from 2 to 5 p.m., the University of 欧美口爆视频 Boulder Visual Arts Complex (VAC) will join its neighboring Art Museum and Boulder鈥檚 Open Studios in hosting a unique joint showcase of two annual Art and Art History Department events: The King Exhibition and Emerging Artists Open Studios.

The King Exhibition will feature artwork throughout the VAC hallway walls, doubling as both gallery exhibit and open scholarship competition for graduate and undergraduate students. Meanwhile, the artists鈥� creative laboratories will be open and on display for the Emerging Artists Open Studios.

That afternoon, the Visual Arts Complex, home to the majority of 欧美口爆视频鈥檚 fine arts programs and faculty/student studio space, becomes the gallery. Photography, video, ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, painting, drawing and more will all be on view throughout the event.

Each year, the King Exhibition hosts a guest curator to select featured work, as well as award graduate and undergraduate students first- and second-place prizes of $1,000 and $500, generously donated by the King family, longtime supporters of the Art and Art History Department.

Laura Smith, a second-year MFA student focusing on ceramics, takes a moment in her tool-filled studio. At the top of the page, Jenny Shenk, also a second-year student in ceramics, poses with some of her work. Photos by Craig Levinsky.

For the Emerging Artists Open Studios share of the event, the artists鈥� workspace is the exhibit. At the same time the King Exhibition takes over the hallways of every floor in VAC, attendees will be able to visit both the undergraduate and graduate students鈥� creative space, speak with the student-artists themselves and explore their creative practice.

The most exciting thing about Open Studios, said Catherine Cartwright, graduate coordinator for the Department of Art and History, 鈥渋s that it鈥檚 really the only time the public has an opportunity to see what鈥檚 behind closed doors. If you walk through the building any other time of year, you can鈥檛 tell what鈥檚 going on in people鈥檚 studios, so it鈥檚 like seeing inside the mind of the artist. To be able to ask, 鈥榃hat does this mean? What are you working on?鈥� I think is the most interesting part of the engagement.鈥�

鈥淪o we not only see the student鈥檚 work in the form of a polished group exhibition,鈥� added Cartwright, 鈥渂ut we get to see the rawness of the studios. It鈥檚 an interesting combination, like the front stage and behind the scenes at the same time.鈥�

In addition to merging the King Exhibition and Open Studios events, another aspect that makes this year鈥檚 show unique is the timing overlap with the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder Conference on World Affairs. 鈥淪o there鈥檚 a lot of presence and excitement with arts panels on campus,鈥� said Cartwright.

鈥淚 think Mandy did a fantastic job pairing work together,鈥� said Megan Chase, second-year graduate student focusing on painting and drawing, of being featured alongside her colleagues. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a conversation happening between Laura鈥檚 piece, my pieces and Melissa鈥檚 pieces. I would have never thought to put them together, but I think they work really nicely and have this interesting dialogue going.鈥�

鈥淓very curator does something different and has a different vision,鈥� said Kirk Ambrose, chair of the Department of Art and Art History.

鈥淚 think that鈥檚 part of the value. As students go through the program over the years, they see the dynamic or dialogic relationship between the curator and student, and that鈥檚 a really important aspect of this. Mandy Vink is going to have a very different vision than previous curators and that鈥檚 all for the good, across all the different formats, so that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 looking forward to the most, just seeing how that relationship between the students and the curator unfold. It鈥檚 always exciting.鈥� 

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