GROSSMONT COLLEGE –Art students will have a chance to show off their work and compete for prizes and scholarships at the upcoming Student Art Exhibition, which runs from May 9 to May 19 at the Hyde Art Gallery.
To be part of the exhibit, students must be taking an art class and submit a piece that relates to their class at Grossmont. Awards will be presented at a special gallery opening on May 17 at 7 pm.
More than three thousand dollars to support this endeavor was raised by the Grossmont Arts Council at their arts auction at Hyde Gallery on March 11. The night was an event to remember featuring the work of 18 local artists.
A David Fobes piece raised $550. Tickets were sold in a raffle for ten dollars each and the persons whose ticket was drawn got to keep the piece.
The piece that fetched the highest auction price was a Jesus Dominguez piece with colorful geometric shapes. Combined in a fashion similar to “The Snail,” created by Henri Matisse, the painting sold for $290. Interestingly enough both the David Fobes and Jesus Dominguez art went to the same person.
Other pieces that drew interest were ‘Tundra,” a dark ocean landscape scene by the gallery’s curator Ben Aubert, and Grossmont photographer instructor Suda House’s “Unmaid Bed, ”a picture of a sheet printed on a real sheet and crumpled to add to the effect. Both pieces went for $210.
I had an opportunity to speak with Jeff Irwin about his piece “Peace Scare”. The piece was a large ceramic plate with two birds overlooking a river and a paper boat floating in the distance. Irwin said the two birds were in an argument and boat represented innocence.
Another piece that stood out was Toni Renier’s ceramic tile piece of two guitars. The piece had professional quality and an almost machine-like look. It was unbelievable to me that a man painted this piece. The color scheme and detail made it look like the guitars could be picked up off the tiles and played in the middle of the gallery.
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Tittle is a student in MCOMM 132; email her at [email protected]
