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The Williams Visual Arts Building is celebrating more than three years of collaboration in a new exhibition, Made Here, featuring works by over 20 artists who have produced art in the facility.
The exhibit will last June 4-July 24 at the Visual Arts Building’s Richard A. and Rissa W. Grossman Gallery. Summer gallery hours are 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; the gallery also will be open June 5.
Friday’s exhibit opening will be marked by a 4:30 p.m. roundtable discussion attended by most of the participating artists. A reception will follow at 5:30-7 p.m.
“This is an opportunity for individuals to discuss the advantage of working in an open and collaborative environment where opportunities may arise that were previously unseen or unappreciated,” says Jim Toia, an accomplished sculptor and director of both the Grossman Gallery and the art department’s community-based teaching program. “Contributing members will talk about their experiences and ideas for a creative and productive dynamic. This is keeping with the original intent of the design of the Williams Visual Arts Building — an open environment where creative ideas have the freedom to develop and ‘morph’ based on who and what is available at any given time.”
Artists with work in the exhibit will include Lafayette alumni Tom DiGiovanni ’96, Ross Gay ’96, and Berrisford Boothe ’83; Kim Thomas, visiting part-time instructor of art; and Russ Armstrong, Peter Brown, Anthony Crisafulli, Vivian Fishbone, Brian Gormley, Nessa Grainger, Ira Greenberg, Wopo Holup, Ron Janowich, Don Jordan, Claire Lukas, Richard Polsky, Deb Ross, Karla Stinger, Merijn van der Heijden, Bruce Wall, Rhonda Wall, and Marty Zlotkin.
The 23,500-square-foot Williams Visual Arts Building is one of the leading high-tech facilities for art education and exhibitions in the nation. It includes sculpture and painting studios, a community-based teaching studio, the Grossman Gallery, a flexible studio area with movable walls for honors and independent study students, a seminar room, a conference room, and faculty studios and offices.
The building is home to the studio art program. The classrooms are adjacent to professors’ personal studios, which encourages the free exchange of ideas between students and faculty. Honors students, faculty, and visiting professional artists work together with area high school and adult art students through the Community-Based Teaching Program led by Toia.
The building was recognized for excellence in design quality with the Silver Medal from the Pennsylvania chapter of The American Institute of Architects, the highest award given by the organization. It was chosen from a pool of applications by 100 practicing architects in Pennsylvania.
The Visual Arts Building also received the Adaptive Reuse Award from the Easton Heritage Alliance. The award recognizes excellence in buildings that have undergone major restorations/renovations to serve a purpose that differs from the facility’s original function.
For more information, contact the Grossman Gallery at 610-330-5831.