Seniors show off cultivated art skills in Cantor Gallery exhibition

The aromas of marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers might conjure visions of backyard bonfires, but this is no campground — it’s the Cantor Art Gallery.

Using materials as diverse as telephone parts, food, and traditional materials such as paint and graphite, this year’s senior visual arts majors have quite the show in store for the college community. The show is titled Artifex, which is Latin for “artist.”

Through May 25, eight Holy Cross students will exhibit their work in the gallery. It will be their first major exhibition, and a chance to show the Holy Cross community the work they achieved over the yearlong Senior Concentration Seminar. In this seminar, the students were afforded every freedom to explore their own interests and aspirations under the guiding and watchful eyes of Cristi Rinklin, assistant professor of visual arts, and Robert ParkeHarrison, associate professor of visual arts. Aiding in the gallery set-up was Roger Hankins, Cantor Gallery director.

Seniors Teresa Maria Buscemi, Megan Driscoll, Christopher Fannon, Melissa Fritsch, Aislinn Kelly, Jennifer Knapp, James Maliszewski, and Susanne Whelan will show their work.

All the instructors emphasize the diversity of technique present in this year’s class. “It’s been much more experimental,” says Hankins. “The students have worked at mastery of new techniques and have had the opportunity to discover a new process.”

These new processes offer a plethora of different experiences within a single gallery. Whelan’s work features an examination of contemporary female perspective, featuring costumes and figures fashioned from foods like marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers, as well as fabric, and beer cans. Buscemi’s photographs explore the world of dreams, hung from the ceiling in light boxes and accompanied by sounds of slumber, nature, and all manner of dreamlike situations. Large hearts painted over collages of clothes, magazines, and surgical gear offer Maliszewski, who is also a premed student, a chance to meld his interests in the anatomy and the spirit of humanity. Fannon explores fragmented modes of communication through old letters, telephone parts, and phones frantically pouring out one side of a 911 emergency phone call.

“The show offers eight different artistic visions and tries to put them in a cohesive environment,” says ParkeHarrison. “It’s like little vignettes of all these different students’ work.”

Asked about the experience of the seminar itself, Maliszewski explains, “It’s worthwhile, frustrating, gratifying, stressful, fulfilling, challenging, invigorating — all at the same time.”

Rinklin taught the first half of the seminar, in which she helped the students to focus their work and their artistic vision. The class, though focused on studio art, also includes exploration of contemporary artwork and field trips to museums, galleries and other colleges to inspire new ideas and dialogue among the students. She says, “There are loose parameters set in place so students have some structure to work within, but the crux of the work should come from an independent voice.”

She adds, “A student has to prove their dedication and ability to work independently to earn their place in the second semester of the Concentration Seminar.”

ParkeHarrison helms the second part of the Concentration seminar, in which the students develop a body of work to be shown in the gallery. This show “demands more of a professional completion of their work” says ParkeHarrison, who emphasized Hankins’ role as a coach, mentor and guide in the preparation for presentation.

For the students, the seminar offered both freedom and camaraderie as they focused on creating their own work while also participating in critiques both formal and informal with their fellow classmates.

“The seminar is not just a class. It’s a community and friendship where we share our life experiences, passions, and wild dreams,” says Whelan.

“It’s a friendly but constructive environment,” adds Buscemi. “We all want to see each other succeed and we get excited about what everyone is working on.”

Students and mentors alike are eager to share this exhibition with the college community.

“I hope they’ll get a sense of the hard work and dedication here among studio art majors. I hope it provokes thought and discussion, and that it speaks to them like any good art should,” says Maliszewski.

“I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity of working with these eight students,” says ParkeHarrison. “It has been an exciting and inspiring experience to witness, encourage and help develop a context for these students to achieve their goals. I hope that the community will enjoy their creative work.”

By Erin O’Connell ’07

Related Information:

* Press release * Cantor Art Gallery Web site