“9+9” Art Exhibition to Open in February

January 25, 2

A new art exhibit featuring the work of artists from the Lehigh Valley and the Cedar Crest College Art Department Collection will open next month. The exhibit titled, “9+9 Senior Art Exhibition Practicum” will be on display in the Center for Visual Research at the Lachaise Gallery in Cedar Crest College’s Miller Family Building from February 4 through March 4, 2022.

Showcasing artwork by six local artists, the exhibit will be designed and installed by nine senior art majors with input from Brian Wiggins, director of the Center for Visual Research. The experience will inform students of different career paths in the art exhibition field, including commercial galleries and institutions as well as independent curation.

“What I set out to do was create an opportunity where the students will be making decisions about an exhibition in the third person,” Wiggins explains. “What this does is add a level of professionalism to the process, and to see art in general, and their personal art, in a broader view; that it doesn't happen in a bubble. For the artists that are participating, the same can be true. It puts the potential in place for them to see their work in a way that they may not have considered.”

Wiggins says the students will learn about the “ideas of asymmetrical design” and explore how an audience moves through a space. Each artist will contribute two works, which will be displayed separately with careful consideration of how each interacts with the surrounding artwork as well as the physical gallery space. The Art Department plans for the Senior Art Exhibition Practicum to become an annual event.

The graduating seniors and participating artists are:

Students

• Autumn Bachert
• Ashley Byrd
• Gianna Castellitto
• Eileen Gallagher
• Rachel Myers
• Ashleigh Nagy
• Isabel Pichardo
• Lois Ritchie
• Christina Ventrillo

Lehigh Valley Artists

• Devyn Briggs
• Egidio Galgano
• Rachael Gorchov 
• Pinkney Herbert (Art Department Collection)
• Elizabeth Johnson
• John Lee (Art Department Collection)
• Paul M Nicholson
• Emily Strong 
• Sara Woster (Art Department Collection

The Exhibition will be celebrated with a reception on February 25 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Center for Visual Research.The event is open to the Cedar Crest College community, the general public and members of the media. Visitors should consult with campus health and safety guidelines by checking https://www.cedarcrest.edu/visit_guidelines.shtm.

For more information about the exhibit, please contact Brian Wiggins at Bwwiggin@cedarcrest.edu. 

To learn more about The Center for Visual Research at the Lachaise Gallery, visit https://www.cedarcrest.edu/academics/art/campus_galleries.shtm.