By Eliana Shenk ’24, staff writer
The Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery unveiled its fall 2023 exhibition in early November.
Entitled “Scatter Terrain,” the exhibition includes art pieces from 25 internationally recognized artists and was curated by artist Anthony Cervino and art historian Shannon Egan. The pieces represent the terrain, landscapes, architecture and domestic areas people dreamed of and envisioned during the seclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“These works are not only visually interesting, but they also all have a deeper contextual meaning,” Dr. Barbara McNulty, director of the Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery and assistant professor of art history, said. “This is one of the most wide-ranging exhibitions that we’ve had.”
Each piece has its own meaning under the theme of terrain. Some make commentary about the loneliness of the lockdown while others make statements about contemporary social issues. Together, the full exhibition creates a depiction of the landscape both created and envisioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and the desire for adventure.
The works offer a wide variety of mediums, including print, digital video, watercolor and 3D printing to name a few. Each piece required meticulous care and attention to properly articulate its meaning.
“When you get up close you get to see how much detail was put into each thing and how much time went into it,” Caity Kline, a senior creative arts major, said. “It’s really interesting to see how abstract art can take so much time and how it can come together to represent a theme.”
Kline is one of three interns who get to apply their knowledge from their studies with real-world gallery experience. Joined by Jack McClain, a senior history major, and Sophia Bunting, a junior creative arts major, the interns curate works, write labels, design poster work and handle artifacts, among other tasks.
“Being able to touch history is such a wonderful thing to do,” Kline said.
“Scatter Terrain” will be on display in the Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery until Dec. 17. The gallery is open Wednesdays, 5-8 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays, 1-4:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.