Annually, HSU First Street Gallery hosts an exhibition to showcase the creative culmination of these aspiring artists and their transition from their art studies into their professional careers. The Young Alumni 2015 exhibition presents the work of 40 graduates whose art includes a wide variety of media. The works on display reflect the breadth of courses offered at the university including sculpture, jewelry, painting, graphic design, mixed media, photography, printmaking, new genre and ceramics.
“The alumni participating in this show have all developed to a point where their craft is at a professional level,” states First Street Gallery Director Jack Bentley. “These participants demonstrate real evidence of artistic success. Crucial to their success, however, are the less tangible qualities they all share—a dedication and commitment to making art as a way of life and a deep engagement with their work on poetic and intellectual levels.”
Upon entering the gallery, visitors will encounter a piece of interactive art, which immediately signals the ambition of these artists. Installation artist and Arcata Scrap and Salvage Award winner, Renée Calway, provokes her viewers to respond to societal issues that are occurring nation-wide while engaging them with her piece, Bored of Education. Calway invites gallery guests to interact with her large-scale map of the United States by using chalk provided to the audience to draw or write on her map. She states that, “This piece encourages community members to express their frustrations with the education system in the United States.”
The gallery will be closed July 4th. The gallery will schedule a closing reception on September 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. during Eureka Main Street’s Arts Alive program. HSU’s First Street Gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m. and is located at 422 First Street in Eureka. Admission is free. Groups are encouraged to call ahead to arrange tours. For more information call 707-443-6363 or visit the gallery’s website at humboldt.edu/first.