Fall 2021 24 It’s been a long time coming for Cedarville’s visual artists. After 16 years, approximately the age of Cedarville’s Studio Art major itself, a permanent art gallery has been installed in the Stevens Student Center, the first in the university’s 134-year span. According to Aaron Gosser, Associate Professor of Studio Art, various proposals for a gallery were met with friction because it meant taking space from another department or building something new. This difficulty was overcome by remodeling what used to be a storage area in the DeVries Theatre, a space designated for use by the Department of Art, Design, and Theatre. Before the gallery’s installation, art majors had to display their work on unlit, carpeted artboards set up in the Dixon Ministry Center, the Student Center lobby, or the Centennial Library. Gosser said, “It was nice when different departments would accommodate art” but noted that these spaces “competed with tables and walkthrough,” making them “far less than ideal.” While lacking a gallery was less than ideal for all art majors and their work, Studio Art majors especially felt a sharp absence. Gosser said, “[A gallery] is important for art and design, but it’s necessary for studio art. It’s where the work takes on its significance. We’ve produced class after class of students who’ve left the university and didn’t have that experience.” Why does having a gallery matter? The gallery space is significant in terms of both the types of work displayed and the experience. Practically, a three-dimensional work or large piece needs physical space. To paraphrase Gosser, the importance of a proper art gallery to studio art is akin to the importance of a playing field for a sports team. As a matter of inspiration and expansion, Assistant Professor of Studio Art Caleb Booth points out, “It’s a huge encouragement for the students to make more work and even make larger works. Otherwise, [a lack of space] is not pushing you to grow. Turtles only grow to the size of their cages.” Both Gosser and Booth noted that the way most people interact with images and art today is through a phone screen, which robs people of an enriching experience. Experiencing art requires a separate place. “How difficult it is for art in this culture, in this time and place,” said Gosser. “We move so quickly between images. We have hardly any appetite for contemplation. In order for art to live, it requires a viewer that intends on seeing art, that is willing to step out in faith, believing there is something here to be gleaned. You can’t do that quickly. It takes a separate space.” Booth agreed, adding that viewing art on our phones stunts a person’s growth. “The main way we interact with creativity and images is usually on our phone, swiping through [feeds] curated for you based on what you’ve already liked. You don’t actually grow your palate of what you’re interested in or grow in appreciating the arts.” In contrast, art galleries “expose us to different ideas, different ways of thinking, different points of view, which is really important, especially for the gospel and...interacting with very different types of people.” As a physical experience, Booth said, “Nothing really replaces this type of moment where you can walk around and feel the size of the art compared to you as a person, and not just your finger.” Currently, Booth’s works are on display in the gallery. A SPACE SET APART: Cedarville University Opens First Permanent Art Gallery By Maggie Walker Photos – Elizabeth Kollmar
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