From October 25 – November 19, the Harlan Gallery at Seton Hill University (SHU) is hosting a regional Women in Art exhibit. A reception and awards ceremony was held on October 25 to recognize the artists and welcome guests. On Friday, October 26, e-Magnify and the SHU art department hosted a panel discussion symposium in Reeves Theatre to discuss problems facing women artists of today.
By Valerie Masciarelli
Editor in Chief
From October 25 – November 19, the Harlan Gallery at Seton Hill University (SHU) is hosting a regional Women in Art exhibit. A reception and awards ceremony was held on October 25 to recognize the artists and welcome guests. On Friday, October 26, e-Magnify and the SHU art department hosted a panel discussion symposium in Reeves Theatre to discuss problems facing women artists of today.
Students enrolled in AR375, Women in Art Seminar, taught by Maureen Vissat, professor of art, chose the artwork that is featured in the exhibit. Artists were required to send in their selected works via a CD with PowerPoint slides. The class then reviewed the pieces and voted on their decisions.
“It’s educational for the students. They’re taking all this knowledge that they’ve studied for years about putting art on display for the public and interacting with artists, and putting it into practice,” said Vissat.
“A lot of pieces that I voted for were the ones that stuck with me,” said Beth Gaughan, a junior, who said the class hoped to put together a collection of artwork that revealed stories through them.
“Each piece had a narrative to it,” said Gaughan.
“Some of the works are more abstract, but I guess you could get a story out of them,” said Marie Manski, a junior.
The class also had to select pieces to accommodate their limitations.
“We had to consider the space we had,” said Lisa Edsall, a junior.
“There was one installation (piece) we really liked, but it was too big. And the class voted against asking the artist to make it smaller. It’s big for a reason,” said Sarah Danko, a senior.
Of the three pieces submitted by artist Karen D. Yun-Lutz, from Bethel Park, only two, “Rapture” and “enRapt,” were voted into the gallery. Since her third piece that was not included had recently sold at another local art show, Yun-Lutz still considered her submission a triple victory.
“I think it’s wonderful that they have this opportunity for people outside of Seton Hill,” said Yun-Lutz.
“The colors and the stark contrast between the dark background and the silver… It’s an image that stays with you,” said Gaughan of Yun-Lutz’s “enRapt,” which featured a nude, silver woman against a black background.
Upon entering the exhibit, guests immediately see Melissa Vertosick’s “Tales,” which includes a hanging pair of crocheted stockings.
“Can a guy get away with that?” asked Nora Thompson, another artist featured in the exhibit. Thompson said she liked “Tales” because it reminded her of the “woman’s” hobbies she had growing up, such as knitting, crocheting and cross-stitching.
Thompson’s own works in the gallery included two paintings titled “Bound to Be” and “Murder of Crows.” “Bound to Be” won first place in the show.
“I liked the integration of the text – the handwritten words,” said Thompson, who currently teaches art classes at Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC). A calligraphy class she took, taught by Carol Brode, director of Harlan Gallery and professor of art, inspired the work.
“I liked her (Brode’s) stuff, so I copied. I’ve only done that in my last series of stuff. It’s not as good calligraphy-wise, but it’s mine,” said Thompson.
Vertosick, also an instructor at WCCC, had been in a previous SHU Women in Art exhibit in 2001. Her piece entitled “with…all in a row” was also included in the show.
“This space is a nice venue. It’s nice to have students see what’s going on in our community,” said Vertosick. Thompson and Vertosick agreed that college students – especially those in the arts field – should take the opportunities to see art exhibits.
“You need something to shoot for, to get some ideas,” said Thompson.
“They may not realize how far the material can be pushed,” added Vertosick.
“I like how all the works are professional looking. It gives students a lot to aspire to,” said Manski.
Thompson and Vertosick were also two of the women artists who participated in Friday morning’s panel symposium, along with Laura DeFazio from California University of Pennsylvania. Amber McAlister from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg served as moderator.
The discussion questions covered both the aspects of entrepreneurship and feminism.
DeFazio, whose two pieces in the show were the photographs titled “Cosmos/Microcosmos: Avalon #7” and “Cosmos/Microcosmos: Avalon #8,” said she was especially pleased to see the intense student involvement in the show.
“When you’re in college, it is the ideal, fertile time for you to use the resources. For students to have the opportunity to be on the professional end, in charge of something, is awesome,” said DeFazio.
“Students learn the most from their peers and the things they devote their time and energy doing,” DeFazio added.
Danko and Edsall said their favorite artwork from the exhibit was a piece entitled “Interior/Exterior” by Terri Perpich. The work, which featured a young girl leaning against a skull, won second place.
“I think it’s really strong. It’s kind of like a reminder that everyone will die and beauty fades,” said Danko.
Manski’s favorite piece was called “In rest,” by Aubrie Sell. The piece took home third place in the show.
“I like the scale and the subject matter since I’m a portrait artist. Also, I like the bold use of color,” said Manski.
Exhibits in the Harlan Gallery are open to the public 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. on Monday-Thursday, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, and 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday.