Arts in Action: The Testimony of Art Exhibitions 

By Katlynn Rossignol

The 220 Gallery sits outside the DeVries theater and displays a rotating variety of visiting and student works. Yet it’s a rare occurrence when the displays are announced beyond the theater’s entrance. The 220 Gallery is an unadvertised space online, being only briefly passed through on facility video tours and is completely excluded from the Art and Design Facility listings. 

So why do artists display their work in the gallery space, and do art exhibitions contribute to Cedarville’s mission to testify Jesus Christ? 

An art exhibition is a common way for studio artists to present their work to the public and earn a living. Associate Professor of Visual Communication Design, Cam Davis, was able to talk more about the process. 

“If you’re a studio artist, this is your bread and butter,” said Cam Davis. “You make your work, you get an exhibit somewhere, and you go show your work and hope someone comes there and buys it, or sees your work and sends you a commission to make a painting or sculpture.”

Art exhibitions are done by students outside the studio art major as well. The exhibition on October 2nd featured art from visual communication design and industrial and innovative design majors within Cedarville’s Art, Design, and Theater department. Professor Davis affirmed that art exhibitions are a way for all kinds of artists to improve. 

“When we have design students, it really helps more than you might know to simply show your work to the public,” Davis said. “You might be a little anxious about the world seeing your work, but you need to get past that and be used to accepting encouragement as well as critique.” 

Critique is an essential differentiator between the two types of exhibitions put on by Cedarville’s Art Department. A juried art exhibition is a competitive type of exhibit, where a panel of jurors judge submitted artwork and decide what gets displayed. At Cedarville, the students’ best work is judged by the faculty, using a mix of objective and subjective standards. 

“So, this could be a wide range of criteria,” Davis said. “There’s an amount of objectivity to it, because there’s standards and things that have been put into place over many many years. But then there will always be a subjectivity about it as well. Sometimes I have a difference of opinion with another judge, and then you talk it through.” 

There are also capstone exhibitions, where senior art students display their best work, and plan a reception. Planning how to best display their work is an art in itself, and requires learning to mount their work to the walls and strategically plan the best layouts. The reception is also a key part of any exhibition, as it invites guests into the gallery space to see the artists’ work and ask questions about their process or inspiration. 

“There’s an atmosphere about an art show and a reception where everybody comes in and talks about it and congratulates the artist,” Davis explained. “It’s a networking affair. People come, there’s receptions, you gather and you talk… it’s creating an art community.”

I was able to see this art community in action on September 24th when Union University’s visiting faculty held a reception in the 220 Gallery. The artwork on the walls was the same as when I had wandered in on my own, but the atmosphere was completely transformed. The visitors’ excitement for and about the artwork was tangible. 

“This makes me excited about the future, about being an artist,” said one student looking at the displays. 

The reception made the exhibition come to life. Students weaved around the room, chatting to their friends about the artwork, trying to decipher what they were seeing and what it meant. 

Students enthusiastically spoke with the visiting artists to express their appreciation and ask questions about their process. 

Union University Assistant Professor of Art, Paige Ward, gave advice to the art students of Cedarville regarding art exhibitions.  

“In undergrad, take as many opportunities as you can,” Ward said. “ You’re still learning. Take advantage of student shows, they give practice in shipping, wall hanging and experience. But remember that you’re at school to learn.

“To freshmen and sophomores, make as much work as you can. Make the most of your time as a student with all your resources. Take risks while you have a safety net. Then look at your work and exhibit what’s worth showing.”

Professor Ward’s advice brings the most important part of any exhibition to the forefront, the artwork itself. Before that evening’s reception, two of Union University’s faculty gave a lecture on their creative process and the inspirations behind their work. Angela Lee, a Union University Professor of Art, discussed how she went from designing logos for businesses to directing video art displays in Union University’s gallery.

“It caused a whole rethinking of my identity,” Lee said. “I had been using my graphic design skills to tell everyone’s story but my own. Whether you’re a graphic designer, or a video artist, or a ceramicist, or a painter, it’s always about telling a story. Whether it’s your artist narrative, your studio artists, or your client’s narrative.” 

An essential part of Paige Ward’s inspiration is telling stories. During her lecture, Ward explained how her faith defined the way she looked back on the trials of life, and how she used her art to share her perspective. 

“My faith frames those life experiences,” Ward said. “However, I didn’t seek to make my work only about my journey. I’ve been told that the more personal we get with our work, the more universal it becomes. So, I seek not to share a history necessarily, but to evoke a feeling that is this longing we have to understand our human existence, experiences and relationships, and how we handle them as we go through this journey called life.” 

Through the practice of art exhibitions, Cedarville students have an amazing opportunity to share their testimony as Christians. Even when the art is not explicitly crosses and Bibles, it shares a piece of the artist’s life experience with the audience. It serves as a platform for artists to share their work and make connections with clients and other artists, in a mutual space for learning and growing. 

“It is really important to get used to the idea of showing your work,” Davis said. “Participating in it with somebody else, networking, exposing your art and your work to the world, being proud of what you do; there’s just all kinds of personal development.”

All majors can learn and strengthen their faith from an art exhibition. We are called as Cedarville students to boast in the Lord, and not be ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Jeremiah 9:23-24, Romans 1:16). Art exhibitions offer a dedicated time and space to share what God has done in our lives and come together in a biblical community.  

Next time the 220 Gallery features an exhibit, consider stopping by the reception and appreciating the testimony the artists are sharing through their work.  

Katlynn Rossignol is a junior Strategic Communication Major and A&E writer for Cedars. She loves arts and crafts, spending time with friends and watching superhero movies.