The brightly lit room of the Los Medanos College Art Gallery, filled with a wide variety of interesting art, attracted a crowd for the April 22 opening reception of the annual Student Art Show.
The gallery was buzzing with excitement from observers and participants alike. Each year, and in turn each piece, proved to be wonderfully unique in its own way. Some pieces of art were two dimensional, others three. Materials such as metal, wood, ink, plater, porcelain, felt, paper, ceramics, paint, graphite and digital resources could be found throughout the room.
Pride could be seen on the students’ faces as they took it all in and reacted to the announcement of show winners.
“I was in shock and tears, and surprised at the same time,” said third place winner in the sculpture category Andrea Ortiz, who created the sheet metal elephant titled “Gentle Creature.”
“It’s great to have your piece in the gallery and for other students to see what you’re working on,” said Elisaldo Burciaga, second place winner in the sculpture category for his work “Book of Treasure.”
The content of the art was just as, if not more varied than, the materials used to create them. From pop culture references to abstract art, there was no shortage of individuality or entertainment in the room. One painting starred the vocaloid Miku alongside the anti-hero Deadpool, who had a tiny Hello Kitty charm on his head, as if he was wearing a cute hair clip.
“It was a nice experience to see the art that comes from our community,” said student worker Ile Garcia.
One thing that stood out was the fact that there were pieces, specifically some of the ceramics, that had functionality as well as style. A set of porcelain cups with a matching pinch pot were decorated with sgraffito, an ancient technique used in pottery where the first layer of a colored glaze is scraped off to create a pattern or design, revealing the color of the clay beneath. The sizes of each piece combined to resemble a tea set. Another ceramic piece, a lantern, can be used as such when placing a light source inside its cylindrical body, shining through the sun shaped cut out and casting its shape on a nearby wall.
The metalwork was particularly impressive. Like pottery, metal is often exposed to extreme heat to bend and shape into what the artist desires. Some metal art is hammered into shape, nailed together, created from bent wires, or simply assembled like a puzzle from various parts. The most noticeable metal art piece was a sculpture that resembled an angel, with wires sticking out of its back to create the wings.
The digital art was a sight to behold. Some who don’t understand the process often argue it’s art with a shortcut or a cheat sheet, but in truth it’s not that at all. Whether using a mouse or gliding a stylus across the slippery surface of a glass screen, digital artists have to be able to draw with a steady hand, because even the most micro movements can create extra issues. Extra pixels can make one’s art choppy, and are difficult to remove without erasing a lot of other progress in that area.
These are but a few examples of the much broader collection of art and art styles on display.
“Our students have created a very strong body of work that was very well received by the juror.” said art and humanities professor Nick Nabas, who served as emcee for the juried art show.
The vastness of LMC’s artists creativity never fails to impress. With a strong sense of community, excellent teachers, and plentiful resources, it’s no surprise so many students had the inspiration they did to create their art. One student even received a scholarship for their work.
“The Art Guild of the Delta continues to appreciate the student art and we are happy to continue our scholarship program supporting LMC art students,” said Mary Lamb, co-founder of the guild.
