The Student Success Building is soon to be adorned with accessories—courtesy of artwork made by members of the campus community.
In the next two months, 11 pieces of artwork and one sculpture will be installed in the building. Each piece was selected by a committee made up of faculty, staff, students and administrators. The art will also be the first permanent collection at Metro State.
“We wanted to make sure the work we selected had certain components that reflect the emerging talent of our community,” says Deanne Pytlinski, an assistant professor of art.
The theme for the art in the SSB was “community,” and submissions were collected starting last October. Pytlinski says the initial call for artwork attracted 40 submissions. A call for proposals for a sculpture brought in 21 entries.
The committee also sought a design for a unique bench to add to benches already in place from the building’s architects and a design for shutters on each first-floor office.
“This will be a snapshot of what the artists in our community are doing right now,” Pytlinski says.
The works of art will be displayed in perpetuity, Pytlinski says. “In 10 years, we will be able to see what the community looked like.”
Pytlinski says the hope is to add works of art over the years to showcase the talents of faculty, staff, students and alumni.
“The works provide an important connection to student learning,” she says. "It’s also a connection to the larger community as well.”
Works to be featured in the building include:
"Benches" by Paul Tucker, industrial design student, mixed media;
"Reading Material" by Susan Porteous, faculty, installation made of folded paper from textbooks;
"Elastic Limit" by alumni Megan Harrison, charcoal on paper;
"Interwoven" by Anna Kaye, faculty, charcoal and graphite on paper;
"Botticelli Pictures I-IV" by Craig Marshall Smith, faculty emeritus, oil on canvas;
"Passage" by Tomiko Jones, faculty, photographs;
"Architectural Abstracts" by Brenda LaBier, student, photographs;
"Untitled" by Jeff Weber, student, photographs;
"Shushing" by Luzia Ornelas, alumni, interactive media display;
"One Heart Many Parts" by Jesse Van Horne, alumni, mixed media;
Custom shades by Ryan Glaze, Jennifer Juarez and Yuki Iwai, students from Studio M course, under the direction of Scott Surine, affiliate art faculty.
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