Student Art Exhibit

BY DANA DURBIN
Rice News Staff
May 6, 1999

Before they move on to life after Rice, 12 graduating seniors who majored in art and art history have been given the opportunity to show off their work from four years as undergraduates.

“Moving On,” the 36th annual student art exhibit, is being presented at the Rice University Art Gallery through May 15. The opening reception for the installation was held April 29.

“This is the first time that the seniors’ work has been showcased at Rice Gallery,” said Kimberly Davenport, Rice Gallery director. “We wish to honor their creative achievement and artistic progression at Rice as these talented students move on to the next phase of their personal and professional lives.”

The students’ work represents a range of media, including painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography and video, said Francesca Fuchs, curatorial assistant at the Rice gallery.

The artwork of the seniors also represents their own development, she said. Each student has three to six pieces in the exhibit, so visitors to the gallery can really get a sense of the students.

“‘Moving On’ presents a small body of work by each student, allowing the viewer to enjoy several pieces by the same artist, seeing their progression, their interests and their personality,” Fuchs said. “The students, on the other hand, have pulled together works which best represent them from a variety of media, in summary of their time at Rice.”

Wiess College senior Jameson James has three years worth of art showing at the exhibit, including three prints from his sophomore year and a wooden steplike sculpture titled “Balance” from his junior year.

“My last two works come from this year,” James said. “I feel like I found my medium in these paintings: ‘Naivete’ and ‘Flourishing.’ ‘Naivete’ was my first attempt at a true self-portrait. Although it feels awkward in form, its content is so peaceful–removed from the troubles of life. ‘Flourishing,’ my favorite, represents my intellectual and spiritual growth beyond the limits of my body.”

A music and art double major, James plants to attend either the San Francisco or New England conservatory to pursue a master’s in vocal performance.

Jason Wehling will be representing yet another medium. A bachelor of fine arts student from Lovett College, Wehling is showing a rough version of his final film project, “Lemmy Lemmm,” at the Rice Media Center, and at the art gallery, a series of monoprints from the film are exhibited. “The series illustrates the process of a young lemon growing up and becoming lemonade,” he said.

Wehling plans to “move on” to the West Coast and hopes to get a job in the film industry.

As part of the student art exhibit, artwork of nongraduating students will be on view at the Rice Media Center.

Other graduating seniors whose work is on display at the student art exhibit are Bill Bradley, Christopher Coco, Vanessa Granlund, Elinor Karlsson, Briana Patterson, Kari Sellers, Jean Sevaas, Paula Wynn, Meredith Hamm and Eric Zapata.

The Rice Art Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday until 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. During commencement weekend, the gallery hours are: Friday, May 14, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, May 15, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For gallery information call (713) 527-6069.