Art students are showcasing their work on the second floor of Grimm Hall South. The exhibit, entitled “Now I Know In Part,” began on Wed., Jan. 14, and will be on display until Mon., Feb. 9. The exhibit features work by Concordia students majoring and minoring in both graphic design and studio art. 

“The reason we called it ‘Now I Know In Part,’ is because we were trying to get the disciplines working together, and texts and images together,” explained Professor Sara Fletcher, Associate Professor of Visual Arts. “Speech reveals a different facet of the story that [the artworks are] portraying,” she continued. 

The show “focuses on the interplay of writing and art, and the inspiration that artists can gather from the written word,” said Chloe Robinson, a sophomore and one of the student-artists featured in the exhibition.

Many of the texts paired with the artworks include Bible passages and poems. “Visitors are encouraged to stop by the gallery hall and examine how artists have used writings to influence and inspire their works of art,” Robinson said. The display of both side-by-side provides viewers with crucial insights into the art.

When the students began working on their pieces for the show around seven months ago, “We didn't quite know what we would get, but we were overwhelmed by how beautiful and diverse the works were and how they spoke to each other in an interesting way,” Fletcher said. The pieces also encompassed a variety of mediums, including oil and acrylic paint, watercolor, ink and digital art. There were even unique forms the art took, including several sets of multiple related works and decks of playing cards.

Some of the poems paired with the artworks are professional pieces from recognized poets, and some are from Concordia’s Aerie, the university’s art and literary publication. Fletcher expressed the art department’s satisfaction with the showcase and desire for future collaborations. “We were so happy with this that we’d love to do it again and invite more broadly people who create in different disciplines, especially the writing discipline,” she said.

“A large amount of the artwork is from senior art students who worked all last semester to create a cohesive series of artworks,” Robinson added. 

“Every semester,” Fletcher said, “My final project for all of my classes except the senior seminar is a Bible illustration.” Students choose a variety of Biblical texts to interpret artistically. 

“My art piece is of Bezalel, and he is the first person the Bible ever described as being filled with the Holy Spirit,” Robinson said. “He was an artist, and God gave him skills to build the tabernacle as described in the book of Exodus. My painting is an oil painting in the style of Vermeer. Not a lot of art has been made about Bezalel throughout art history, and I hope more people can know about him through my art.”

Robinson’s work is featured alongside another person’s Biblically inspired artwork. “The one that we placed it next to is [based on] the Song of Solomon, which is often not portrayed visually. That was inspired by the Book of Hours, but also by contemporary illustrations,” Fletcher explained. The piece, called "The One Whom My Soul Loves," is by Alexa Niko, a senior. Additionally, some of the pieces on display are personal works.

Fletcher added encouragement for students to visit the exhibit. “Not everyone walks up to that second floor…so we hope people can spend time just soaking it in.” 

Tags: Visual Arts, Aerie

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