Ever wondered if there was a space on campus that showcased art by Andrews University students and faculty? If you didn’t know, Harrigan Hall’s second floor houses the Art Gallery for the Department of Visual Art, Communication and Design. The Art Gallery’s hours coincide with Harrigan Hall’s hours of operation, which are Monday thru Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. So, as long as the building is open, so is the Art Gallery.
The Art Gallery exhibits artwork by Andrews University’s BFA (Bachelor’s of Fine Art) and BA (Bachelor of Arts) in Art students. The Gallery is currently showing a Senior Exhibition entitled “Self-Questioning” by Sin Ching Ng (Kefla), a recent BFA December grad from the class of 2022. Her paintings showcase introspective work on self-doubt and loss. Her exhibit debuted on Tuesday, December 6, 2023 and will be up until Thursday, January 19, 2023.
I took a walk through her exhibit and I think my favorite piece was Kefla’s oil on canvas painting titled “Emergence.” At first glance, the artwork looks to be a person sinking or drowning. However, if you stare longer at it, you’ll notice that the person's facial expression looks too calm to be someone struggling in the water, and the way the arms extend with the hands grasping onto the water looks as if the individual is pulling themselves out of the water. I would say it’s all about perspective whether in this painting or in life. Sometimes I feel like I’m drowning, but in reality the challenges I’m facing right now are what is preparing me to be my best self in the future. Go check out Kefla’s work if you get a chance!
The Art Gallery offers a quiet space to immerse yourself in the art expressed by your fellow peers and friends. It provides a great opportunity to see the fruits of the artist’s labor and to support their artwork. If you’ve never been to the Art Gallery, it’s about time you do as it is a cool spot to sit and think, or just a quiet place to escape to from studying. Go support your artist friends and tell them how much you appreciate their art!
The Department of Visual Art, Communication and Design have a lot planned this semester, so be sure to take advantage of all the upcoming exhibitions.
February will showcase artwork by current and past Andrews University Faculty. Many professors are quite the artists so keep an eye out for their artwork.
The month of March is dedicated to Andrews University students. Both Art and non-art students will have the opportunity to showcase their artwork at the Art Gallery. If you are interested in submitting your artwork for exhibition, contact Alyx Halsey halsey@andrews.edu for details of submission.
The months of April and May (up until graduation) will be exhibitions by BFA and BA students. Here’s a list of the students that will have their senior exhibition.
Kristjan Milovanovic (senior, graphic design)
Adwoa Tuffour (senior, graphic design)
Taylor Humphrey (senior, graphic design)
Lizzy Borton (senior, fine art)
Jose Silva (senior, graphic design)
If you missed any of the exhibitions, you will most likely see them up on Instagram @artatandrews that posts information about upcoming exhibitions, student artwork, community class artwork, and art at Andrews University in general.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.