Students showcase artwork at Hite Art Institute’s spring show

By Silvana Hill–

The artistic talent of U of L’s undergraduate and graduate students was on full display at the annual Spring Student Exhibition in Schneider Hall. The show ran through March 17 and showcased a variety of 2D and 3D artistic methods.

Exploring topics such as gender, anxiety and human impact on the environment, the exhibition offers a student perspective on the issues shaping our society.

“I had 23 minutes on campus and decided to come in,” senior Jordan Licata said. Licata was a first-time visitor to the Hite Art Institute and enjoyed the originality of the exhibits.

“I wasn’t sure what this building housed. I didn’t know about the student exhibit, but there’s a lot of talent in here,” Licata said.

The student exhibits show a broad range of artistic mastery, displaying methods such as printmaking, glasswork, graphic design, painting and even knitting. Artist Monica Stewart contributed two intricate pieces comprised of multiple layers of cut paper forming a complete picture when viewed head-on. Jackson Hawkins utilized glass, wood, dirt and leather in his striking 3D piece titled “Assay.”

“Executing something like this takes patience and attention to detail. It’s completely amazing,” Phelps said about Stewart’s cut paper piece titled “The Firebird.”

“The student artwork is amazing,” André Phelps said. “This clearly took a lot of patience and forethought.”

In addition to the student galleries, the Hite Art Institute also showcases work from renowned artists Stephen Cartwright and Shohei Katayama in the Belknap gallery. Employing unusual materials like magnets, iron, permanent marker and electricity, this exhibit explored the subtle ecological relationships in the environment.