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Coming off a successful exhibit that displayed the works of local artist Dean Mitchell, a man renowned for his vivid sense of realism, the UWF Art Gallery opened a collection of mostly mixed media Friday.
The walls are Technicolor tapestries of works filled with political innuendo and positioned next to traditional etchings. Adjacent to charcoal scrawls, there are delicate watercolors.
Though this may seem like a change for a gallery that usually sticks to one common theme per exhibit, a closer look revealed that, no matter how different they may appear, each work has one vital thing in common with its neighbor.
Paper Works: On and Of Paper is just like the name suggests. Each piece in this juried exhibition is either made of, or is largely comprised of, paper.
"It's quite literally anything that is made with paper," Suzette Doyon, chair of the Art Department, said. "Sculpture often is made of wood, metal, marble and so forth, but there are pieces in there that stand up on a pedestal that are made of paper. So, the subject can be about paper and different hand-made papers, but more often, it is about using papers as the base for a work of art."
Years ago, this exhibit was a popular attraction at UWF. Memory of it has faded in recent years, but a great deal of excitement has surrounded its return.
"We used to have a show by this title, back in 1998 and 2000," Holly Collins, art gallery director, said. "It kind of went by the wayside. I'm trying to pick it up again."
The return has been a welcome one and has received a great deal of response from the artists who have contributed. Of the 200 works submitted, 40 were selected from 32 artists.
The pieces on display include traditional wall art in addition to sculpture and creating a collection of art as diverse as the artists' imaginations that inspired this exhibit.
"You will find that several of the pieces are three-dimensional and sculptural," Doyon said. "Many of them also have high-relief qualities and so forth. Some are subtle, others are bold and demanding, others are political statements, while still others are about the form itself and the medium itself. There are a variety of approaches here."
Of the pieces on display, some garner particular attention. Collins noted one piece in particular that catches the eye of everyone who comes across it. "Sinking of the Empire" is as intriguing as it artist, Victoria Goro-Rapoport.
Born in Russia, Goro-Rapoport spent time in Israel, attended school in California, and now teaches in northern Nebraska. Her work, one of the largest of the group, is an etching and its attention to detail and abstract composition make it a favorite among patrons.
Though Collins would not venture to guess what the piece represents, she speculated on the reasoning behind it.
"It's very interesting because she looks at our culture through the eyes of several other cultures," Collins said.
Jacki Wilson, assistant to Holly Collins, said that this exhibit represents the continuation of a very good year for the gallery and the diversity of work is one the department is hopeful to bring back in another two years.
"We have had very good feedback so far," Wilson says. "People seem to really like the broad variety of work that's in the show."
The Art Gallery is open to the public, free of charge, from Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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