KSC’s Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery opened its first exhibitions of the fall 2024 semester on Thursday, Sept. 12.
Students, faculty and community members attended an opening reception, which ran from 4 to 6 p.m. to view Sophie Isaak’s “If You Get Tired, Pull Over,” John Rasimus’s “Ten-Thousand Hours” (previously titled “Props From My Shows”) and “Charcoal and Clay,” a documentary film showcasing the process and work of painter and ceramist Jean-Pierre Larocque.
Each exhibit will be available for viewing at the Thorne-Sagendorph until October 24.
Rasimus’s “Ten-Thousand Hours” showcases standalone prints displayed on the gallery walls and a section of prop-based artwork conveying the reality of the creative process.
The prop-based section displayed a scene of an artist’s workspace, while in the process of honing their craft.
“It’s a scene that you have to interpret in your own head, but it shows the work that goes into being good at something,” said Rasimus.
“They say if you want to be good at something, you have to spend ten thousand hours on it. This shows the messy side of that process. There’s pizza boxes, beer cans, stuff scattered on the floor, and things can get messy in those ten-thousand hours. That’s what I’m showing here,” Rasimus added.
Isaak and Larouque were unable to attend the opening reception, but had their work featured, according to Art Professor and Faculty Coordinator of the Thorne-Sagendorph Paul McMullan.
Isaak’s exhibit features prints that play with color to tell stories of opposite elements cohabitating, according to the artist’s statement outlined in a catalog offered by the Thorne-Sagendorph.
“Charcoal and Clay,” the documentary about Larocque’s artwork, was offered to KSC as a donation to the gallery, according to McMullan.
“I’ve been wanting to show this documentary for a while. [Larocque] was my graduate advisor, and we would have loved to bring some of his work down. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to get his work across the Canadian border, but he offered to let us screen the documentary about his work for free and we’re very grateful for it,” said McMullan.
McMullan said he offered Larocque money to screen the film, but Larocque declined to accept payment.
Faculty artwork was also displayed, featuring submissions by a variety of KSC faculty members.
Associate Curator and Art and Design professor Miles Warner hopes the opening will inspire members of the KSC community to engage with artistic interests.
“If we’re doing our job right, people are seeing the endless opportunities. We want this to be a space where people feel welcome and can become a part of,” said Warner.
Art major Peter Brown attended the reception, and said the gallery was an inspiring experience.
“Since I’m an art major, I had the chance to see a sneak peak of the show, talk to [Rasimus]. He talked to us about his process and technique, and I thought his compositions were unique. I really liked a print of the Greek goddess Athena, and it really stuck out to me,” said Brown.
Ryan Pacheco can be contacted at
rpacheco@kscequinox.com
