The annual Faculty Art show opened this past Friday in the galleries of Tyler Hall, offering a free showcase of the personal works of the professors of the Art Department at Oswego State.
The works span many forms of media, from traditional painting, sculpture, digital art to photography. They serve to encourage and promote discussion among art students and teaching faculty.
Sponsored by the Art Department, ARTswego, Tyler Art Gallery and the Student Association, the Tyler north gallery is displaying pieces from every professor of Oswego State’s art faculty, while the Tyler south gallery is an exhibition solely dedicated to the work of multimedia professor Cara Brewer Thompson. Titled “Wisdom() & Other Things,” Thompson’s digitally-created portraits are muted and ethereal, juxtaposing quotations from famous philosophers with atmospheric glitch art.
“I try to simultaneously instill a sense of awe and a sense of silence through my work,” Thompson said. “I try to get at things outside of words or consciousness.”
Thompson, who has been a multimedia art professor at Oswego State for the past nine years, teaches a digital art class named “Creative Code” in which students can create pieces of digitally-altered art similar to those on display at the exhibit.
Thompson says that she enjoys the faculty art shows, because they let her see the work of her colleagues and they offer students a window into what their professors can do.
“I learn a whole lot from my students, who don’t often get to see my work, so it can serve as a form of encouragement for my students,” Thompson said.
Thompson mentioned how making and teaching art gave her a different yet still distinct sort of fulfillment.
This isn’t Thompson’s first time in the spotlight by having an exhibit dedicated to her work alone, but it is her biggest by far.
“There is a lot of stress that comes along with doing a show this big,” Thompson said. “You never know if things will work out to your favor, but you always hope.”
“Wisdom() & Other Things,” along with the rest of the faculty art exhibitions, will continue to be displayed free of charge in the Tyler art galleries until Nov. 6.
