New exhibit celebrates WKU’s artistic community

In Flux is a group of artist who are students at WKU. The artwork is featured at SKyPAC in their main gallery. They are the WKU’s league of sculptors. The artist consist of many skills including painters, illustrators, ceramicists, printmakers, video artist, and photographers. Art director Jessica Snodgrass helped guide the students when she can and has been working their for 2 and half years as the art director.

Andrew Critchelow

A new art exhibit featuring the work of WKU students is celebrating the artistic community of The Hill while showcasing individual talents. Entitled “IN FLUX,” the exhibit features sculptures by students at WKU.

The exhibit got its name from the fluctuating nature of the student artist body, where new artists come in while others graduate, emphasizing that it is important for the artistic community to embrace this “flux.”

The exhibit was created by the WKU League of Sculptors. Started four years ago, the group is dedicated to supporting the art of sculpting. Though the exhibit heavily features sculptures, some of the students featured in the exhibit are also painters, illustrators, ceramicists, print makers, video artists and photographers.

Ana Grant, a senior from Elizabethtown studying psychology and studio art, and a member of the League of Sculptors, said there is a vibrant sculpting community on campus.

“It’s great,” Grant said. “Everyone is extremely gifted and helpful to others who need an extra hand with their project or some advice.”

The exhibit is hosted by the SkyPAC’s main gallery, where new exhibits are featured every six to eight weeks. Known largely as a performance venue, the SKyPAC features two galleries that are open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The galleries often feature work from both local and national artists.

The main gallery “engages a diverse audience, creates a sense of community, provides insight into the creative process, and challenges visitors to contemplate the historical, social, and cultural context of visual art,” according to the venue’s website.

Jessica Snodgrass, Visual Arts Gallery Director at the SKyPAC, said exhibits like IN FLUX help enrich and educate the community.

“It’s a great opportunity to learn and experience,” Snodgrass said.

The exhibit opened to the public on April 3 and will continue until May 26. A reception for the gallery will take place on Friday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Grant said it is important for WKU artists to be featured in venues outside of campus.

“It’s important because it’s great to show how amazing the work is to other students to inspire them and to also let the students who make art know the genuine thoughts about their pieces,” Grant said. “Critiques are very important in art both negative and positive. I know that without all the feedback in the past, whether it be good or bad, that I would not be in the advanced place that I am in my work.”

Grant said sculpting is one of the most liberating art forms she has experienced.

“There’s really no limit to what you can accomplish if you put all of yourself in it,” Grant said. All different types of medium are used to create our projects and I think it’s really amazing and awesome. You can literally go out to a recycling center or a dumpster and pick out cool items and use them in your art to give them a second, beautiful life. I think that should be celebrated more because it’s a great concept.” 

Reporter Andrew Critchelow can be reached at 270-745-6288 and [email protected].