They don’t just teach

Thirteen faculty members from the Storrs and Torrington campuses provided pieces to showcase in the 46th Annual Art Department Faculty Exhibition in the Benton Art Museum, which opened Tuesday. The display features an array of artwork including paintings, sculptures, illustrations, graphic designs, prints, photographs and installation art. The event features Monica Bock, Pamela Bramble and Cora Lynn Deibler – UConn professors who have recently returned to the university from sabbatical.

 Professor Monica Bock has showcased work in many different galleries including Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, Pittsburgh’s Mattress Factory, Mobius in Boston and Art in General in New York City. She has received many awards including the Arts Midwest/NEA Regional Visual Arts Fellowship. Professor Bock presented an untitled piece made of unglazed porcelain. Her work consists of multiple human figures made of porcelain attached to a wall in unique poses. The poses of her figures represent a variety of actions and emotions ranging from someone deep in thought to another leaping for joy.

Professor Pamela Bramble, from the Torrington branch campus also has many pieces on display. Ariel Sohn Brand, a 7th-semester English major and campus correspondent for The Daily Campus commented on the pieces by saying, “I am really attracted to the different shades in her work…they remind me of Arizona – they are warm colors that I associate with the South.”

Of particular note was a charcoal drawing created by Ralph DiCapua, an associate professor of art and art history. The piece attracted a number of curious students and members of the community. This piece consisted of two parts: the first included a close-up drawing of the face of a man who looked to be somewhere around middle age. Adjacent was a picture of the same man but this time much older. The two drawings work to contrast the two pictures of the same man. Greg Harris, a 3rd-semester environmental science major who works at the Benton as a gallery attendant remarked, “The detail is incredible. In the eyes alone, you can see that each mark of charcoal is deliberate.”

In addition to the displays presented by the wide array of artists was a series of videotaped interviews conducted and compiled by Professor Kathryn Myers. This video exhibition included over 60 interviews made in a six-month period of promising artists in India. One of the featured artists included Ravi Agarwal, an environmental activist who also started a non-profit company named Toxic Links. Toxic Links serves to make information about toxic substances more readily available to the public. Ravi Agarwal has had his pieces featured in many exhibits from London to Beijing. Myers’ own work was made of gouache on paper. One of her pieces named Kalimpong showcases an alleyway that is a blend of many different dark blues, greens and purples. Another piece Shahpurjat, the name of a town in Western India, consisted of a building replete with dark hues of blue, green and purple. 

The 46th Annual Art Department Faculty Exhibition is a great opportunity for students to experience the art of our own University of Connecticut professors. Many of these professors have received very illustrious awards, and the ability to see their art at no admission fee is a steal.