Hidden Talent
BUTLER TWP — Students at Butler County Community College are showcasing more than 50 pieces of artwork in the college's first student show in six years.
The showcase features more than 50 paintings, drawings and sculptures selected from a field of 150 students, and expresses visions ranging from otherworldly to earthy to everything under the sun — including a late-afternoon skyscape in pastel.
The pieces — creations of students in art classes taught this fall by instructors David Ludwick, David Todd and Beth Anne Black on BC3's main campus in Butler Township, at BC3 at Cranberry in Cranberry Township and BC3 at LindenPointe in Hermitage — will be on display at the Mary Hulton Phillips Art Gallery from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays through Nov. 30.
Visitors to the gallery on BC3's main campus can view an oil painting suggestive of Picasso's cubist period; a watercolor mosaic hinting of Egyptian influence; a charcoal, white chalk and ink three-faced drawing reminiscent of works by David Theron; lengths of 18- to 22-gauge wire spun into curious creatures and ceramic sculptures of earth-tone human forms and whimsically colored elephants, according to a news release from the college.
Ludwick, art instructor at the college, said the exhibit will continue at the end of each semester, showcasing the best work from the various art classes.
“Each instructor selects 10 pieces, representing some of the best work from the semester,” he said.
The goal of the show is to encourage students, regardless of their major, to “discover a passion or a talent that has been laying dormant,” Ludwick said.
Ludwick revived the BC3 student art showcase when he became curator of the Mary Hulton Phillips Art Gallery this fall. The exhibit includes autumnal and floral still life and pastoral and coastal paintings, intricate pencil drawings, post-modern industrial depictions, and sculptures of rope, rock and hardware items.
Student artist, Abbey Kondos, said she was surprised when her complementary piece — using two opposite colors — of a Volkswagen van was selected.
“It's awesome, I'm not very artistic so it is very cool for me,” she said.
While studying horticulture, Kondos said she chose the class as an elective.Cameron Matteoni, taking general classes with the intent of transferring to a university with a fashion design major, whose charcoal piece is displayed in the show, was also surprised with its inclusion.“I was very pleasantly surprised,” he said. “I wasn't expecting it just because we have so much talent in our class with all these artists.”In fact, he said this was his first drawing ever, in the first art class he has taken.Matteoni suggested the public come out and see the student-produced pieces.“There are really some incredible pieces in the gallery,” he said.Brenna Stubenbort, a social work major, said she took the pottery class because of her love of the art.“I took multiple pottery classes in high school and I kind of fell in love with it there, so I took a sculpture class here to see what I could learn,” she said.Computer science student Melissa Utz said she chose to take an art class because of Ludwick.“I had Professor Ludwick before for his ethics class, just thought he was a phenomenal teacher, and I thought this would be a good way to break up all the math and science of the major and do something a little more creative,” she said.Her drawing, which plays on perspective, was inspired by a photograph she saw.“I really wanted to focus on a strong sense of depth to something ... something that just kind of pulls the viewer in,” she said.When asked how it felt to have a piece selected for the show, she said, “I never expected that to happen, I really wouldn't consider myself a true artist.”
