Wes Serafine
Equinox Staff
For some, art is about the experience—the experience of imagining the creation, creating it and sharing it with others. On Jan. 25, Keene State College’s own Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery played host to artwork that was submitted to a regional competition and allowed artists to share their experiences with each piece. The competition was open to several local artists, who work in several art mediums, such as painting, sculpture, photography and much more.
Emily Fedorko / Photo Editor
On Jan. 25, the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery debuted their new exhibit, the Biennial Regional Jurors Competition. This exhibit, allowed artists from the state of New Hampshire to submit their work to be judged.
“Keene and the surrounding area offers immense talent that can easily be overlooked. We are thrilled to display local art and recognize artists and our community,” Maureen Ahern, director of the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery, said. The chosen works of art were selected by the competition’s designated juror, Kristina Durocher, director of the Museum of Art at the University of New Hampshire.
“It is always such a pleasure to be introduced to work by artists new to me. Jurying the Biennial Regional Jurors Competition provided an opportunity to discover new approaches to materials,” Durocher said of the exhibit.“I selected work that resonated with me that compelled me to look again, or prompted me to ask questions about the work and the intentions of the artists. There were many good works that were not included though could have been, but of the works on view, I enjoyed the process of discovery and hope you [the gallery visitors] do to.”
The exhibit itself showcased varied works of art, from paintings of landscapes to the intriguing abstract sculptures. Several attendees of the exhibit were taken in by the beauty of the various works of art. Andrea Macri and Yoko Mikami, two KSC students and employees of the art gallery, both of whom spent a great deal of time with each piece before the grand opening, said that they absolutely loved the exhibit, despite struggling to put everything together by theme due to the wide variety on display. Macri cited a clever sculpture of porcelain dolls as her personal favorite.
One attendee, Thomas Lester, said that they were all priceless pieces.“This is an amazingly wonderful venue,” Ellen Wapner, another attendee of the exhibit, said. “I think it’s really refreshing to walk around and see all this non-representational stuff. It’s more about line and color than it is about a subject matter,” Rebecca Mayott, wife of one of the artists, said.
However, this exhibit was not only a chance for the public to see the diverse work of art; it was also an opportunity for the artists to explain their creative artwork. Professor of Journalism, Julio Del Sesto demonstrated his unique and interactive photography exhibit.
Each attendee viewing the exhibit would sit in a chair and take a picture of him or herself to be displayed on a slide reel, but because the picture was being displayed to the public, the subject had to be concerned about how he would be judged by others viewing the exhibit.
But the selected artists’ workwas not only about the idea of self-exploration, the art chosen also featured the artists’ experiences with the piece selected. Artist, Michael Cherry, who drew a landscape drawing after several months of hiking along a cranberry trail near his house said, “I was very excited, it’s my first show in this area, it was a privilege to be accepted. So far I’m very impressed with everything here.”
However, for some this exhibit was more than just showcasing the experience of creating a particular piece, it was about displaying the intricacy that composes a piece of art.
Finally, Patricia Schappler, the winner of the Best in Show Award for her piece depicting a teenager with angel wings simply titled “Michael,” which can be seen on the postcard for the exhibit, described her works as being very similar to that of paper dolls, with each work made up of several smaller pieces to create the illusion of perspective.
“Sometimes people just sit and they do something and it hits something in you. I just sort of thought of him as a contemporary archangel,” Schappler said.
While this exhibit was a chance for the artists to receive recognition for their diverse artwork, it was also an opportunity for the artists to expose the general public to various perspectives and mediums.
This exhibit also created the opportunity to invite the artists to share their experiences with the public. The exhibit will be on display until March 7 at the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery.
Wes Serafine can be contacted at
wserafine@keene-equinox.com