Faculty Art Exhibition: A Success that Impresses

Strings of lights wrapped around the trees in the art garden, adding to the ambiance of the opening reception of the Fall Faculty Art Exhibit.

Adults and children crowded into the gallery to look at the work the Pierce College art faculty had on display.

In between looking at the different works of art, many people wandered around the art garden grabbing food and drinks.

The atmosphere was friendly and energetic, with many people congratulating the artists on the work they had in the exhibit.

What looks like a photograph of brown, clustered leaves is displayed right in front of the entrance to the art gallery. However, the printed description to the bottom-right of the art piece informs the reader that it is an oil painting.

Instructor of Art Justin Dahlberg is responsible for the work and said it took him two years to complete.

“I stepped out of my car one day and I saw the leaves on the ground,” Dahlberg said. “I didn’t know that I was going to spend that long making a painting based on that.”

Dahlberg says the painting is his attempt at riding the line between mundane and romantic.

Melody Cooper, a professor of art, had three unconventional, ceramic teapots on display at the exhibit.

She said her inspiration for one of them was her trip to France last year, during which she saw several fields of milk thistles.

“I used teapots because I wanted my students to see that teapots didn’t necessarily have to be functional,” Cooper said. “I wanted them to see that they could break out of the typical mold.”