By Erika Perez
Art gallery (Roxann Raphael / Asst. Photo Editor)
By Erika Perez
Artists abound in all three Riverside City College campuses and this month they are showcased in a very special exhibit put on by the Art department.
The current exhibit at the RCC Quadrangle Gallery is made up of student artists’ works and is titled Student Honors Exhibit.
The Student Honors exhibit, running until May 29, had its opening ceremony on May 14.
Many guests were present including RCC President Jan Muto, faculty, students and families of both. Trophies were awarded to many students for their outstanding pieces.
The recipients were chosen, one per full-time faculty member, sticking to an approximately fifteen year tradition.
Art department faculty members from the three campuses are invited to submit two pieces per each class they instruct.
Pieces are created by students in both beginning and advanced classes throughout the semester.
The exhibit is held at the end of every academic year and includes pieces from all semesters chosen by faculty.
As visitors explore the gallery and its many pieces they will experience many emotions; awe at the beauty, surprise at the subjects, amazement at the intricateness and even horror at some images.
Pieces range from bright colored images to black and white with some pieces in between in muted colors.
Different media types are included such as pencil, charcoal, collages, oils and pastel ceramic pieces.
Some of the pieces on exhibit catch visitor’s attention even standing across the room because of their bright colors, such as Katie Chavez’s Esther’s “Fruit Bowl” made with mixed media.
The colors are vibrant, but in addition, part of the media used is a gold, textured piece along with very glittery paint.
Two very intense pieces by Stephen Morrissey sit in the northwest corner of the exhibit.
One of them, “Aggressive Expansion,” is a very dark piece, but the colors are very bright within the background and although the image, of what looks like the joker from a known movie, is somewhat distorted, it is very strong.
A very surprising piece by Rolland Gallardo makes visitors do a double take. At first glance it appears to be a large piece of scribble scrabbles with no actual structure but as you step back and really focus, a very definite image comes through. It is surprising in its concept and awe inspiring.
Cynthia Huerta’s piece “El Regalo” is very attracting with its intricate design in linoleum, black ink and, very surprisingly, gold spray paint.
A very simple piece by Jennifer Smith, “Aaron,” is done in pencil and the closer you are it looks like a pixilated photograph, but as you step away, the image becomes more clear and detailed.
It is not too late to get a glance at this exciting exhibit and be inspired by some fellow students.
The Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For interested students, art classes are available every semester through the art department at RCC.
