Barton Community College art students will line the walls of the Shafer Art Gallery with their work during the “Barton Student Art Exhibit” juried art show from April 13 through May 2. The reception will be Friday, April 17 from 6-8 p.m.
Shafer Art Gallery Director Dave Barnes said the student exhibit is an important part of encouraging young artists.
“Each year we have the opportunity to showcase the work being produced in art classes at Barton Community College, and I do mean work,” he said. “The labor and effort these students have put into the objects displayed in this exhibit is phenomenal, but their labor alone does not make art. The famous polyglot mathematician Michael Polyani in his book ‘Meanings,’ says art making is a social skill, a collaboration between the audience and the artist. If the work is not seen and talked about, the artist is just a fabricator.  It is only in conversation and dialogue that things become meaningful or become art. Student work must be seen to be validated as art. This show is our opportunity to enter into the process of validating our student artists’ work and vision and making of it, art with meaning.”
The show will be judged by artist Joel T. Dugan, who recently exhibited in the Shafer Gallery. He is an Assistant Professor of Painting at Fort Hays State University. He is also an accomplished visual artist and works primarily as a painter. He has an active national exhibition record of solo and group shows and has completed many public art commissions and multiple corporate commissions for institutions such as The Ford Motor Company and the State of Michigan. Dugan also works to cultivate community interest in public art and community projects throughout the regions he has called home.
As a professor, Dugan works with students just like the ones who entered in this exhibit and said it’s important to teach students that it’s OK to be vulnerable and get out of their comfort zones when creating.
“So many people are plagued with the fear of failure and it’s really concerning for me,” he said. “So much more is established that it keeps us from absolutely failing. Whether it’s an app or YouTube video showing you how to do something, there is always a way to rely on something to promote some type of perspective. Students can’t be afraid to take ultimate risks.”
The Shafer Art Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is always free.