An art gallery presented by the new MCCC Art Club allows visitors an insider’s glimpse into the members’ artistic inspiration and strengths.
The student art gallery is on display Jan. 18 through March 4 in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Motherhouse Gallery and available to the public through a virtual tour.
Exhibits were not based around a single theme, but rather focused on each artists’ individual artistic strengths, including digital, acrylic and ceramics.
Kadia Allen, Mitchel Bietat, Cassy Fallon, Tessa Garlepied, Emily Gibson, Ethan Kuhl, Karina Manghum, Aurora Reynolds and Rose Tibai are all members of the Art Club who contributed art to the gallery for showing and sale.
Founded in 2020 by active MCCC art students, the MCCC Art Club planned the exhibition as their first public project.
“This is the first time many students have put on an exhibit,” said Therese O’Halloran, adviser to the Art Club.
“This experience teaches students that they can show work. It’s a huge step out there. It also makes them very vulnerable as well because you expect criticism or you expect good things or bad things whatever happens.”
“I felt excited to show what I worked so hard on for hours and hours on end,” said Emily Gibson, Art Club co-president.
O’Halloran said the high-quality student artwork and the diversity of mediums in the exhibit bring the community’s attention to the thriving artistic presence at MCCC, where much of the artwork was created.
“We have this sort of stigma with art that these things are easy to put up and easy to do and not much work,” O’Halloran said. “That is just not the case.”
The collage of art by the MCCC Art Club contributes to the many exhibits that the IHM gallery have hosted.
“The gallery is an amenity for the IHM sister residents and guests to gather to see new, beautiful and diverse art of distant and local artists,” said Sharon Venier, IHM gallery committee member.
The IHM is currently closed to outside visitors due to COVID-19. However, a virtual gallery has been made available until March 4.
