A Glimpse Beyond the Office Door
Just as inspiration for art can be found in the last places you might think to look, artists possessed of great creativity and skill can be found walking many paths not traditionally associated with artistic pursuit. PVCC is home to several such artists, members of faculty and staff outside of the art department, and this semester the PVCC community and the world at large have the opportunity to see their works.
Sept. 15 marked the opening of two new gallery exhibitions in the Dickinson Building. “The Annual Faculty Exhibition,” displaying new works in painting, sculpture, and more from the art department faculty, was in the South Gallery. While, in the North Gallery was “Beyond the Office Door,” an exhibit exclusively displaying art from the PVCC faculty and staff who are not part of the art department.
As Fenella Belle, chairperson of visual and performing arts, explained in her curator statement for the gallery, “In their day jobs, you will find these artists teaching biology, math, or economics. Or they may be the person from Information Technology who helps solve your computer problem. They may even be the person you pay your tuition to!”
The variety of the art on display matched the variety of the artists and included paintings in a wide variety of styles, photographs, ceramics, and even pieces made in the 3D rendering software Blender.
On Sept. 15, there was an open-to-the-public reception for the galleries’ opening, where visitors could meet several of the artists and learn more about the origins and techniques of their art. Some of the artists have been making art for a long time now, like Dr. Keith Nabb, associate professor of mathematics, who started painting in 2001 and makes paintings as gifts to his friends and family. Others, like Dr. Sushma Shukla, associate professor of economics, began more recently. Shukla started painting during quarantine, learning from Bob Ross videos. She said, “As an economics professor, my professional life often involves analytical thinking and data-driven research, which can be intellectually stimulating but sometimes mentally demanding. Painting allows me to step away from numbers and theories, giving me the freedom to express myself and explore my imagination.”
“Beyond the Office Door” is open for the PVCC community to come to see for themselves pieces from PVCC’s previously hidden artists, until Nov. 4, when both exhibitions close.
