BC3 artists learn to market themselves
CRANBERRY TWP — More than 20 Butler County Community College students displayed their artwork to dozens of friends, family and prospective employers at the college's Cranberry Center campus Friday night.
The art show, dubbed "one of the best kept secrets in Butler County" by coordinator Nancy Jean Rose, acted as a forum for students to show their work, interact with members of the community and have fun with each other one last time.
Rose, an associate professor and graphic design program coordinator who has been with the community college since 1993, organized the program and taught most of the students in the show for several years.
She's satisfied to see the culmination of their hard work and determination but knows they have a long road ahead. That's why she created the art show to teach students how to successfully market themselves and their skills to potential employers.
"I love working at the community college because I love to work with the grassroots population," she said. "The students I have are the most wonderful people in the world and it's great because I can help them achieve a better life. That's why I love being here."
Several students also were inducted into the Kappa Pi International Honorary Art Fraternity at Friday night's festivities. The honor is bestowed upon four students at the community college and is a reward for a year's worth of hard work and perseverance.
Some students came equipped with business cards and resumes, while others let the artwork do their talking.
Dan Osorna, 24 of Cranberry Township is graduating from Butler County Community College next week. His table was full of black and white photography of archaic skyscrapers, churches and bridges and also featured beautifully shot local landscapes.
Osorna goes beyond conventional photography, however. He uses special filters that show only infrared and ultraviolet rays in the pictures, creating colorful and warped images that are very different from their original counterparts.
For Osorna it's just one more skill that could potentially land him a job.
"It's taking technology intended for medical purposes and instead applying it to fine arts," he said. "It's a lot of work but it's definitely a lot of fun."
Rose said the show also acts as an orientation to self-promotion without worrying about potential mishaps.
"This is job training for them with a safety net," Rose said. "Because if they make mistakes here, they know they won't lose their job."
Student Dan Pale also is graduating next week. The 21-year-old Evans City resident paid his way through college by working as a night cook at a restaurant and taking classes during the day.
He displayed electronic art altered by Adobe Photo Shop, regular photography and authentic drawings of his own. One of his photos pictured an underwater tunnel at the Pittsburgh Zoo at the polar bear exhibit, while another showed a still frame of his friend airborne on a bicycle.
He's been working for two years to get to this point, and he's happy to finally showcase his work.
"It's kind of exciting that possible employers might be here," he said. "But it should be a lot of fun because a lot of people are coming to look at this."
Osorno is happy employers will show up to view his work and that the event is beneficial to his career. But that's not what it's all about for him.
"This is the culmination of all of our work for several years," he said. "But it's also a way of having fun with each other for one last time and celebrating tonight."
