Each spring semester at Mesa State College, students in the Art Department’s exhibitions and management class coordinate an all-campus juried art exhibition. As Mesa State grows, this exhibit reflects the talent on the campuses in Grand Junction and Montrose as well as Western Colorado Community College.

This year, an unprecedented 25 students are taking the class. Most are studio art majors, but increasingly, students reflect graphic design and art education majors, as well as students from other majors across campus. All have a desire to learn the logistics of managing a large art exhibit.

At the beginning of the semester, students’ energy is turned toward the selection of a theme and logo; the visual presence of the year’s exhibit. Students contributed to a group brainstorming session that this year yielded approximately 20 concepts, narrowing the final three ideas to “The 32 Flavors of Art” (this is the 32nd year of the show), “Juxtapositions” and “Art Slingers.” All students were then invited to create thumbnail sketches around their favorite of these three themes. During the following week, approximately 20 thumbnails were submitted, and six versions were selected for further investigation. Three graphic design students developed more formal visuals, and “Art Slingers” was unanimously selected. Vern Harper created the winning theme, and Melissa Mills created the winning logo.

Concurrently, students volunteered for committees that coordinate all aspects of the exhibit, to be held March 28 through April 12 in the North and Atrium Galleries at the Western Colorado Center for the Arts located at the corner of Seventh and Orchard in Grand Junction.

The print/design committee was put to work designing the prospectus for the show, the campus poster, the postcard and other marketing documents, including the program that lists all accepted artists, their artwork, award winners, biographies of the jurors and an extensive list of sponsors and event friends.

Students on the press/media committee began to make contacts through the Mesa State Media Office and the Grand Junction Commission on Arts & Culture for media lists on the Western Slope. A three-part series on the exhibit has been featured in the campus Criterion newspaper, with special support from Heather Dunphey, features editor.

Meanwhile, the artists’ liaison committee is hard at work recruiting students to submit their work for the show, due to the Art Center on Tuesday, March 25, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Up to four pieces of artwork in any medium may be submitted per currently enrolled student for a flat entry fee of $15.

The juror’s liaison committee has been working with Palisade artists Sandra Hoefner (award-winning painter and quilt artist) and Tim Wedel (award-winning ceramicist and clay sculptor) in preparation for the selection and judging of student submissions on the afternoon of March 25.

Eleven awardees will be given gift cards from Jerry’s Artarama in Englewood for Best-of-Show, First, Second and Third places in both two- and three-dimensional categories, and Honorable Mention.

The hospitality committee is working on making the gallery talk and opening reception on Friday, April 4, a memorable event. The public Gallery Talk will be held in the Atrium Gallery from 6:30-7 p.m., with a reception following from 7-9 p.m.

The budget/finance committee is making sure that all committees stay within their allocated budgets. An unprecedented number of community sponsors are supporting this year’s exhibit: Williams Energy, Halliburton Energy Services, Firelight Design & Sign Studio and Screen Image Inc. are featured as event sponsors. Additional sponsors are recognized on the community poster and event program.

Last year, 69 students submitted 192 pieces of artwork for this exhibition. The jurors, Rich Humphrey and Barry Rochford of 13 Photography Gallery, selected 131 pieces for the show. Approximately 450 guests attended the gallery talk and opening reception, and 20 works of art were sold.

For the first time, the full-time faculty in the Art Department at Mesa State College have been invited to exhibit their work at the same time as the students. Joshua Butler, Suzie Garner, Laverne Mosher, Carolyn Quinn-Hensley, Deborah Snider, Toru Sugita and Marilyn Wounded Head will exhibit approximately 50 pieces of their work. Art historian Steven Bradley will provide written commentary on the work. This exhibit will be held in the Gould Gallery from March 25 through April 12. Carolyn Quinn-Hensley is the featured faculty member.

Exhibitions and management is one of two classes in the Art Department that focuses on the business side of the arts. The other is senior seminar and portfolio.
Recognizing the importance of students’ understanding of skills in basic accounting, finance, economics, marketing, management, legal issues, technology and human resources, students visit local arts venues and have guest speakers from the arts community, who share diverse approaches to combining art with a business enterprise. The increasing academic interest in combining art with business has led the Art Department to design a new concentration in its bachelor of fine arts major called visual arts administration. This concentration is a collaboration among the
Departments of Business, Dance, Music, Theatre and Visual Art at Mesa State. The new concentration will be formally available in fall 2008, and will require an internship that applies students’ skills in both art and business within a community setting. For further information, please call Deborah Snider, VAA adviser at (970) 248-1767. Also new this fall will be concentrations in art history, Dr. Steven Bradley, adviser, (970) 248-1073 and animation, Carolyn Quinn-Hensley, adviser, (970) 248-1145.