Students and professors at "Interconnections" gallery. Photo by M.K. Bryant, News editor. By M.K. Bryant, News editor
The art exhibition “Interconnections” opened in the Gallery at Bloch Hall on Jan.11. The exhibition was curated by art major Madison L’Hoste as a part of the Emerging Curators Program.
According to the University of Montevallo’s website, “Students in the Art Department’s Emerging Curators Program work closely with a faculty mentor to organize and manage all aspects of an exhibition of their design, including communication with the artists, production, promotion, curation, and installation.”
This was L’Hoste’s first time curating an exhibit.
“It was a great opportunity to learn about curating skills and about the art department itself,” L’Hoste said. “I’ve learned a lot about curating skills, installation, the process of talking with other artists and networking.”
L’Hoste chose the theme “Interconnections” for her exhibit because she felt the concept would create a cohesive environment for the different mediums that she wanted to be included.
“It was a really clear way for me to bring different artists into one room and kind of congeal all of our aesthetics. Each person brought their own perspective on connection,” L’Hoste said.
The exhibit includes work from UM art students Isabella Ratliff, Sam Arnold, Olivia Dean, Joli, Kailyn Opperud, Pam Paez, Kara Theart, Leana L’Hoste and Madison L’Hoste.
“Interconnections” provided some students the chance to see their work in an exhibit for the first time. This was true for sophomore Olivia Dean.
“I’m so excited. It’s so surreal to see a piece of mine up on a wall. It feels like my art career is really starting,” Dean said.
Although the exhibit opened at the start of the semester, the initial planning for it began at the end of the fall semester.
L’Hoste explained that, before any work was installed, it took a couple of months to contact everyone involved and discuss what would be included in the gallery.
“Once that happened, it only took a month or less for the actual pieces to be chosen,” L’Hoste said.
The installation of the exhibit only took a few days.
“Madison texted me around the end of last year and said that she was holding an exhibit for beginning artists, and she asked me if I wanted to put a piece in. We’ve been putting up the pieces for about a week now. I took Madison’s painting and designed the posters. All of us kind of came together to help Madison put this whole thing together, and it looks great,” Dean said.
The exhibit will be on display in the Gallery at Bloch Hall until Feb. 2. The gallery is open on Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
M.K. Bryant is a contributing journalist for The Alabamian. She’s majoring in mass communication with a concentration in multimedia journalism, and she’s double-minoring in theatre and creative writing. When she’s not busy watering her plants or writing, M.K. can probably be found wandering around an art museum or a library.
