Artwork by Annalisa Hartlaub is on display. Credit: Emily Dean | Lantern Reporter
Students in the Arts Scholars Program are showing off their work this month.
Last week, 12 Ohio State students were recognized in the annual Arts Scholars Juried Exhibition, which displays works in the Urban Arts Space located in downtown Columbus.
The Arts Scholars program is one of 17 programs within the Honors and Scholars center, and is composed of undergraduate members who show high achievement in a diverse range of majors. Within the program, students find ways to pursue interests in art, music, theater and dance, although focused studies in the arts are not required.
The Arts Scholars Program helps students learn skills outside of their major, said Cody Grabbe, manager of the Arts Scholars Program.
“Your degree is a piece of paper,” Grabbe said. “What it says is what you studied, but the skills you have aren’t necessarily limited to that.”
In order to be featured, students involved in the Arts Scholars Program must submit an application and proposal during the Fall Semester.
The Arts Scholars Juried Exhibition is funded in part by the Aida Cannarsa Snow Endowment Fund, which awards the top five artists, as chosen by the juried panel. Yintao Gong, a first-year in art and technology, was one of those recognized. Her work, titled “Live when we are alive,” features a compilation of photographs she took in her hometown in China — some were even taken during the winter break.
“I think of all my classmates, friends and fellow scholars, that their work is so gorgeous … but I wanted to find a way to show people what real life in China looks like,” she said.
Outside of expressions of cultural identity, some submissions gather inspiration from patterns in a mathematical sense. Annalisa Hartlaub, a second-year in neuroscience, has had works placed in the top five exhibitions both this year and last.
She said she found inspiration for her piece, “Somewhere Else,” from patterns in nature. Hartlaub used double exposure photography to explore the combinations of the human form and nature.
The current juried exhibition showcases works of visual talent, though some submissions are theatrical or musical in nature. Grabbe said the program will host a similar showcase for performing arts in April.
The Arts Scholars Juried Exhibition is located in the City Center Gallery of the Urban Arts Space, located downtown at 50 W. Town St. The exhibit will remain at the gallery until Feb. 1. Urban Arts Space is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Thursdays.
