Sarah Bremme

Staff Writer

Faculty from the art and photography departments have brought together a dynamic range of personal artwork for the Faculty Show 2012 in the Art Gallery, which runs through Nov. 1.

Each art piece reflects the individual inspirations, experiences and passion of the instructors.

One of these artists is Harrison Storms, life drawing instructor. Storms donated two of his works to the Gallery, which he said focus on the theme of transition. The pieces are abstract and use lines and contrasting values to appear as though changing “from one state to another state.”

“They represent what I’m interested in talking about in my art that I’ve been working on for ten years,” Storms said. “It’s sort of evolved,” he said.

In addition to the more traditional works in the Gallery, like paintings and sculptures, the side room of the Gallery contains an interactive installation by Ali Ahmadpour, associate professor, with a center piece that is a ceiling high statue of a person standing on a bed of nails with the base draped in American flags.

The exhibit is meant to represent the death of America due to corporate influences and allows people to share their thoughts on current political issues on note cards and write slogans on balloons, which then become part of the exhibit.

Ahmadpour said that he hopes students will take part in the art piece, both by filling out the provided note cards and balloons and by watching a video that highlights corporate influence in America.

“Hopefully, people will come here to listen and watch, and will express themselves,” he said. “The rest (the statue) is a kind of altar to the death of democracy in the United States.”

In its own corner of the Gallery is another installation, a bench and chair wrapped in lush plants from Michael Lewis Miller, gallery management instructor.

Miller said that spreading the word about California native plants is his current passion.

The scented flowers and hand-made bench invite Gallery guests to sit down for a while to enjoy the native plants, while a wood and glass box contains information about the plants to educate visitors, Miller said.

“I have a California native garden myself which I consider an art piece,” he said, “I designed this to go in my yard, to help spread the word about the benefits of native plants.”

Similarly motivated by her passion, photography lecturer Susan Ste. Marie’s art works are colorful, textured wooden sticks and a multicolored fabric lamp. They are intimate views into both her life and the lives of those from other cultures, she said.

“They’re called assimilation because they’re layers of information from other cultures and both of these (pieces) honor individuals and places I’ve been,” Ste. Marie said. “It’s very personal.”

Gallery curator Susanna Meiers also has pieces in the show, which she said spring from nature and occasionally from her dreams. Meiers also helped to organize and arrange the show, inviting faculty members to contribute their work, she said.

“I’m inspired by a combination of nature and dreams, and nature is the source of most emotional imagery,” Meiers said. “As for the show, it’s an interesting look for students into what people are doing privately.”