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by Jason Nemcosky '07
Four senior art majors are "lighting up" the Hofheimer Library Art Gallery with a collection of works selected to be part of the "Arts on Fire" art majors' senior exhibition.
Samples of four showcases of artwork by Virginia Wesleyan students will be available for public viewing through Monday, May 13 in the Hofheimer Library Art Gallery on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan. The exhibition displays the work of four senior art majors: Corrina Clark, Kristin Crotts, Laurie Marcotte and Jessica Price.
The theme of the show, "Arts on Fire," takes inspiration from Virginia Wesleyan College's logo and its "Bring a spark. Light a fire." tagline.
Price, who earned an associate degree in fine arts from Thomas Nelson Community College, transferred to Virginia Wesleyan College in 2004. She is an art education major and hopes to teach art in an inner-city middle school.
"I will have on display around 15 different pieces of art ranging from the mediums of drawing and painting to sculpture and photography," Price said. "I hope to have on display a wide variety of the skills I have developed over the years. For me, art is a way of expressing something personal in order to touch, inspire, and relate to others."
Crotts transferred to Virginia Wesleyan College from Randolph-Macon College. With a minor in psychology and a love for working with people, she plans to attend graduate school for art therapy. She wants her love of art to help people understand themselves.
Works on display by Crotts include watercolor works as well as pieces from her classes. Her works use nature and have elements such as sand and leaves. "Art is a way to step outside yourself in a safe a way and allow a lot of self-interpretation and self-reflection, whether you create it or critique it," she said.
During her time at Virginia Wesleyan, Marcotte, a senior from Virginia Beach, Va., has explored different art mediums and discovered an interest in photography. She would like to pursue this interest after graduation.
"I have done watercolor paintings, pastel and charcoal drawings, scratchboard art, clay relief tiles, graphic art and digital imaging, and photography," Marcotte said. "I wasn't really thinking about having a theme, but I can safely say that a great deal of my work reflects nature and my environment. It's pretty exciting for me since this is my first art exhibition."
Clark, a native of New England, is majoring in art education and hopes to become an art teacher in a primary or secondary school. She currently works part-time at an arts and crafts store, where she teaches craft classes for kids and adults.
"I have some charcoal drawings and one graphite drawing. I have some ceramics pieces, plus several photography pictures that will be displayed," she said. "Generally, the subject of my work is about nature. Art is a piece that visually or emotionally speaks to me. To make a good quality work, there are several things I take into account. The visual and emotional responses are the main factors. Also, I try to think of the amount of time that it took in creating the piece and how the art elements are present."
The work that will be on display also serves another purpose: to show people the type of work that can be produced in a Virginia Wesleyan art course.
"I like to be able to show [my work]," Clark said. "I think it helps others on campus to see what can come out of the art department and the classes offered. In addition, it may inspire other students to try something new and/or different."
In addition to the experience of creating artwork, developing a theme, and promoting the event, the artists also had an added benefit in making new friends.
"One of the best parts of preparing the for the 'Arts on Fire' exhibit has been getting to know Kristin Crotts, Laurie Marcotte, and Corinna Clark," Price said. "They are very sweet and talented girls and I have enjoyed working collaboratively with them."
Crotts says that the exhibit will give the four girls "something to be proud of," and for which to be recognized, not just at Wesleyan but also in the community, as many off-campus guests come to the show as well.
"All four of us have different styles, but art means so much to us in different ways," Crotts said.
For more information about the exhibition, call 757.455.3361.
Or, for more news and events at Virginia Wesleyan College, visit www.vwc.edu/news_events/.