2021 Bachelor of Fine Arts Show Opening Monday!
Noah Young
Production Manager for ‘The Clock’
nty1001@plymouth.edu
Open to Students: 5th of April
The opening event: 9th at 7-7:45 PM over Zoom featuring the artists.
“This is a really important show, it not only shows this year’s work, [but] is a capstone experience they have been working towards for their whole Plymouth State career! It is an important moment for the artists to say ‘this is me, this is what I do’,” states Cynthia Cutting, Director of Museum of the White Mountains, who graciously sat down to talk about the upcoming show.
During our conversation, I realized how much this means to the faculty and students who have poured their collective skills and experience into a beautiful apotheosis for the public to experience online, and for on-campus students to safely visit.
How can the Campus community show their support?
Starting Monday, April 5th students can visit the gallery space, and visit the zoom opening on the 9th. This can be accessed here: https://www.plymouth.edu/mwm/exhibition/bfa-2021/
Students and community members should also follow their excellent Instagram since they are doing wonderful community engagement throughout the year such as an art prompt that you can send in to be featured online. Find them here: https://www.instagram.com/mwmpsu/?hl=en
Here are students who will be featured at the BFA show, as well as some links to more of their work!
In Graphic Design:
Spenser Cook
Bryana Reardon
Nathan Simmons
In Multi-Media:
Callie Dawson – http://calliedawson.plymouthcreate.net/ https://www.instagram.com/crazyfunkyjunkyart/?hl=en
Pine Hakopian
Andrew Heath – AndrewHeathFineArts.com
In Studio Art:
Gwendolyn Hoyt – https://www.instagram.com/artsy_gwen/
Ursula Hoyt
Isabella Miller-White
Kassie Stanley – https://www.instagram.com/kassarts/?hl=en
What disciplines are being represented?
“We have three BFA majors: Graphic Design, Studio Art, and new to this year, Multimedia,”
“Multimedia is being showcased for the first time this year, and we should expect more experimentation and freedom across mediums. Video, Sculpture, and more free-thinking materials…[Multi media] allows for more mixing up”. Cynthia Cutting adds that people assume that an artists’ work is medium-specific, but that is not true.
The graphic design majors have been working to brand a fictitious business. Their work extends across websites, print, uniforms, business cards, photos, colors, stationery, typography, and logo design. It’s a whole lot to juggle into the final and incredibly polished pieces you will see beginning on Monday.
The Studio Artists have been creating a full body of work with a single focus, it’s “almost a story” as Cynthia put it. They develop an idea that is added to and evolves through a whole year dedicated to creating these specific pieces. “They end up creating way more work than will be exhibited, so there’s a bit of a selection process…” Since all ten students will be featured within one gallery, while normally they expand into the Silver Center, so this is a chance to see it all at once.
The medium is the message: what is impact of the recontextualization of the work by viewing it on a four-inch phone screen?
“That’s actually a pretty big issue in the art world right now and we are lucky that we are able to have the physical exhibit as well as the digital…part of sharing that experience of a physical exhibit is having our wonderful new student videographer who will be, this week will be creating a video experience of the BFA show, so that anybody can get the feeling of being there…” Cynthia continues this point by saying that “This is really important to some of the pieces…we have a printmaker who has been making these amazing collaged prints of animals that are [larger] than life-size,” (Pictured Below)
“It’s just astounding work, and it is a challenge to present that in a digital format,” Cynthia says that the Museum of the white mountains has been working tirelessly to adapt to these “in-between times” and provides a push toward more digital experiences and community outreach. However, she urges that no amount of digital experience is capable of replacing physical artwork in physical galleries.
“The artist is creating an environment, and a means to ‘meet’ the artwork, and that can’t disappear,”
Cynthia Cutting
Programs such as the ‘Mountain Voices’ talks, which are virtual programs that feature people with different perspectives on the White Mountains. Beginning early on in the pandemic, the museum started the “Museum Fridge” which features a simple prompt where anyone’s contributions of visual art can be incorporated into a collage. This engagement will help the community stay supportive and engaging in art.
I urge you to take the time to show your support for these talented artists; see the exhibit on Monday, April 5th, and by attending Wednesday’s Zoom opening event.
As for future exhibitions, The Museum of the White Mountains has a brimful year of exhibitions for the campus, and for now, digitally, the community.