The artworks of 23 UCF faculty members in the School of Visual Arts & Design will be on display at the UCF Art Gallery for two weeks beginning Thursday, Oct. 15, after a 6-8 p.m. opening reception.
The annual exhibit will feature a variety of traditional and time-based media including painting, sculpture, book arts, drawing, photography and experimental digital media. The artists have received both national and international recognition for their engaging and thought-provoking creations.
“Our annual faculty exhibition reveals an exciting mix of art produced by our outstanding faculty during the past year. Their personal artmaking takes place evenings, weekends and holidays – free time is rare at UCF during ‘business’ hours,’” said gallery director Yulia Tikhonova. “Every year this exhibition presents a vigorous exploration of painting, photography and installation whose subjects are as diverse as the Florida landscape, cultural identity, and critical views of popular culture.”
The faculty members represent the three divisions that comprise the school: fine art, digital media, and film.
“SVAD is a young entity, a unique and ambitious amalgam. Our three subject areas are continually evolving a common language with which to enrich each other,” Tikhonova said. “This exhibition presents a wonderful survey of the range of teaching philosophies and personal aspirations that comprise this language.”
The exhibition ranges from artists who were recently hired – Brooks Dierdorff, Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz and Chuleta Yoprimero – to those who have been at UCF’s art program since the beginning – Robert Rivers and Rob Reedy.
Others in the show are: Patricia Lois Nuss, Laine Wyatt, Hadi Abbas, Scott F. Hall, Walter Gaudnek, Debi Starr, Joo Kim, Justin Nolan, Bob Hoeckstra, Chad Cameron, Kevin Haran, Jason Burrell, Molly Reilly, George Donald, Carla Poindexter, Kate Shults, Chuck Abraham, Keith Kovach and Victor Davila.
“I have been gallery director for almost one full year and I am thrilled to see the newest work by my many new friends and colleagues,” Tikhonova said.
Each year UCF’s art programs graduate about 30 MFA art professionals who have been inspired by these teachers that are successful artists in their own right, with extensive exhibition histories in Central Florida and beyond. Their teaching is an integral part of their practices and enables them to teach their students how art transform the lives of its creators as well as their audience.
Thursday’s reception is 6-8 p.m. in the gallery, which is in the Visual Arts Building. The exhibit will be up through Oct. 30.