‘COLLAPSE: The Commodification of Talent’

‘COLLAPSE: The Commodification of Talent’

BY LISA NUTTING
Rice News Staff
April 16, 1998

What began earlier this semester with a few undergraduates’ idea to regularly
showcase student art work has since evolved into a new student gallery and the
first-ever exhibit curated by Rice students.

"COLLAPSE: The Commodification of Talent," Rice’s 35th annual student
art exhibition curated by three Rice students, coincides with the April 23 opening
of Infill Gallery, a new art space dedicated to exhibiting student work.

The exhibit is free and open to the Rice community and public beginning April
23 and will be on exhibit at Rice University Art Gallery through Commencement,
May 9. Many of the student works will be available for purchase.

With support from an Envision grant through Leadership Rice, Brown senior Darshan
Amrit, Hanszen junior Joshua Roberts and Lovett senior Jason Wehling have transformed
a former lab in Sewall Hall into the Infill Gallery.

"Rarely does anyone [students] get a chance to even put their work up
on a clean wall," Amrit said. "We didn’t have an outlet."

The students’ dedication to get the student gallery up and running is what
spurred Rice University Art Gallery Director Kimberly Davenport to ask them
to curate this year’s student exhibit; the art gallery staff is assisting the
students in this endeavor.

"This is the first time that Rice undergraduates have curated our annual
student show," Davenport said. "By helping students translate an idea
into an exhibition, the gallery has extended the university’s commitment to
fostering leadership and creativity in all aspects of undergraduate education."

"COLLAPSE" will feature a variety of work produced by students in
the Department of Art and Art History’s studio classes during the school year.
Entries will include photography, printmaking, sculpture, painting and drawing
works. The three curators plan a collagelike installation showcasing student
works in various stages of development–from amateur artists’ creations to more
advanced work by art majors.

Stephanie Smith, assistant curator of the art gallery, said, "As a Rice
alumna, I’m thrilled to see the gallery supporting this kind of student-led
project. [The three curators] have taken on this big responsibility and they
are really enthusiastic. I think it’s a really positive contribution to their
educational experience to see how the nuts and bolts work." The April 23
opening of "COLLAPSE" will feature a series of progressive receptions
scheduled 6-9 p.m. These receptions will be held at three campus locations,
with shuttle bus transportation available between sites.

The opening will kick off with a 6 p.m. reception at the Rice Media Center,
where photographs, film and video will be on display. A reception at the Sculpture
Courtyard, behind Sewall Hall, will follow at 6:30 p.m. Lastly, the reception
at the art gallery will begin at 7 p.m. All receptions will continue until the
opening ends at 8:30 p.m.

Special events will begin with film and video presentations from 6 to 7:30
p.m. at the Rice Media Center auditorium. (A special preview screening is set
for 7 p.m. April 22, also at the auditorium.)

Rice Players will perform at the Sculpture Garden from 6:45 to 7 p.m., followed
by a Rice Dance Theater performance at 7 p.m. The awards ceremony at the art
gallery will begin at 7:30 p.m., when the best works will be recognized through
several awards.

Rice University Art Gallery hours are: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday,
open until 8 p.m. Thursdays; noon to 5 p.m. Sundays; closed Mondays and university
holidays. The gallery will close in May for the summer and will reopen in September.
For more information call (713) 527-6069. Rice Media Center hours are 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For information call (713) 527-2369.

For related information visit the following Web site:
Rice University Art Gallery: www.ruf.rice.edu/~ruag/