The Cosumnes River College Art Gallery opened an exhibition Aug. 24 to highlight work from professors in the arts, media and entertainment division.
“When I was thinking about what exhibitions I wanted to have. I really wanted to open the gallery in the fall with a faculty exhibition to allow students to get to know the faculty and the opportunities that they have here in the art department,” said Art Professor Robin Johnson, who curated the show.
Johnson said that she feels like students often don’t know what their professors do outside of class and that an art exhibition like this is a good opportunity to open dialogue amongst students and faculty.
“We have such a robust art department and all of the different disciplines are doing important things and it needs to be showcased,” Johnson said.
Omari Tau, a professor of vocal music, contributed an album with pianist composer and adjunct professor Graham Sobleman.
The album is a composition of Shakespearan sonnets set to music with Tau singing.
“I didn’t think I had anything to present but then Dean Brian Rickel told me about it,” Tau said. “I thought it was a great idea to present the album.”
Marcelle Wiggins, an art professor who has taught many classes throughout her 30 years at CRC has a section dedicated to her in the gallery.
The section includes a variety of her works including a digital art piece.
“Well, they asked me to show my work since I’m retired,” Wiggins said. “I said I would be glad to do it because it’s kind of a goodbye thing.”
Wiggins said that she will still be creating art even though she is retired and would like to do art full-time now.
Photography Professor Kathryn Mayo submitted a negative of a photograph she found when she was a little girl.
“I wanted to create a bridge between the past and the present so that’s why I sewed onto the image,” Mayo said. “Sewing was something that women from the Victorian era did and the image is from the Victorian era.”
Mayo said the work she submitted was to show she really loves nostalgic processes and works with more traditional means.
“I have two images in the show that are more traditional images. One was taken at the entrance of the cemetery and the other of an iconic statue in the cemetery,” Mayo said. “The day that I found out my friend passed away, I took that photograph of her favorite statue at the cemetery in my hometown of Selma, Alabama.”
The faculty art exhibition is on display until Sept. 28. Visitors may see it by appointment Monday-Thursday.
To make an appointment, click here.