Virtual gallery gives illustration students a second chance for a show

The students in Durwin Talon's illustration senior project class were steadily working this semester toward their month-long show planned in a downtown Grand Rapids art gallery.

That length of time was a generous offering at NOMAD Gallery by Richard App, allowing for plenty of opportunities for the 20 students to showcase the work they actually start their junior year, said Talon, associate professor of illustration and foundations.

While public gathering prohibitions related to the COVID-19 pandemic scuttled those plans, the students will still show their work in a virtual gallery. The opening of the show is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 17 for the gallery, which can be viewed here.

Once the in-person show was canceled, Talon reached out to a student he once taught at another school who works in video game design to see if it was possible to create a gallery in a virtual world. To his excitement, the answer was yes.

The result is a gallery with four wings, each with different lighting: traditional gallery soft white light, a "dark hall" with a nighttime feel, early-morning light and the evening golden-hour light.

"The experience is pretty similar to what you would be able to do at the NOMAD Gallery. You can walk around and take it in at your pace," said Talon, noting navigation allows for viewers to hone in on pieces of interest with some interactivity.

Cristina Piecuch, a studio arts major with an emphasis in illustration, has created pieces that are nearly 4 feet tall that explores the satisfaction of working with your hands, from cooking to gardening. She said her inspiration for one piece was someone she knew who planted 100 trees by himself.

"Often times it’s very easy to get swept up with how easy things have become: using a microwave rather than cooking, buying things pre-made," Piecuch said. "There is gratification in being able to create something on your own." 

Piecuch is glad for the chance to show her work in the virtual gallery.

"It’s nice to have this closure," Piecuch said. "It’s not necessarily what we wanted at the beginning but we were able to adapt to the situation. Come see our show. And while gallery shows go up and come down, this one has a permanence. You can always go back to that link and see it and visit."

Talon agreed that one advantage of the virtual experience is that the show effectively lasts longer while supporters of the students, as well as employers, across the globe can view it. Most importantly, he is grateful to give these students the best possible experience considering the extraordinary circumstances.

"Every so often you get a class where everyone is on their game, where they inspire you as an educator, and this is one of those classes," Talon said. "I just felt so bad for them. They had (spring) graduation taken away from them, they had a great marketplace for jobs taken away from them. I just felt like it was one thing too many for them to lose their show as well."

Online exhibition for photography students

Eight students whose Senior Thesis Photography Exhibition was scheduled to be held in the GVSU Art Gallery will now showcase their work online.

The online exhibition "Sonder: Exploration of Vivid Reflection" can be viewed here. The exhibition includes samples of the students' work and links to their independent websites for viewing more of their work, said Joel Zwart, GVSU curator of exhibitions.

"I know our team at the GVSU Art Gallery and those at the Department of Visual and Media Arts, who have been deeply involved with these students over their time here at Grand Valley, are proud of their hard work," Zwart said. "We celebrate their creativity, learning, and willingness to share deeply of themselves through their images and words."