By Morgan Brizee
A white owl in mid flight. The wings fully expanded outward showing every little detail of each feather and spot. The owl looking like it is coming in for a landing right out of the canvas. This is just one example of many pieces of artwork students can find in the LPC Spring Fine Art Festival.
“For all those who come to the show it will help them realize that there are true artist among them,” said LPC student and artist Fernandito Rocchild, “and that they don’t have to go all the way to San Francisco to see great art.”
The 38th Spring Fine Art Festival is showcasing work students have been completing in their art classes: drawings, paintings, watercolors, 3D renderings and more. The displays can be seen in the halls of the Multi-Disciplinary building (2400), the library and the Mertes Center for the Arts Gallery. Students are sure to find photographs of San Francisco at night to portraits that have a Star Wars theme. There are more works of art from students this year than in any past LPC Spring Fine Art Festivals before.
On May 5, students, faculty and the community celebrated this year’s festival with a gala, which included awards for the art work that really stood out.
“I actually enjoy different pieces from studio art, visual communications and photography each year,” said Don Miller, dean of Academic Services, Arts, Letters and Social Sciences. “Each piece speaks to me in a different way. I love to see what the students come up with each year.”
The art displayed turns mundane hallways into free galleries enjoyed by students and guests on campus. Most of the artwork is for sale at the price listed. The contact information of the artist is also available so potential customers can reach out to artists for other pieces or custom work.
“I have sold a couple of pieces to the Veterans Resource Center,” Rocchild said. “They were for about $100 each. I am hoping to sell the pieces that I put into this Art Festival. To that end, we the artists have made our contact information available at the gallery for commissions for anyone wanting something to be made for them personally.”
The festival is for students to be able to show the community all the hard work they have put in their classes and artwork. Some of the works are student’s assignments or even a part of their final for classes.
“The spring art festival is a great opportunity for the individual students in the art program to really showcase their best work. It also helps them to get their name out into the world if it is not already,” said Rocchild.
According to the LPC website students who want to enter their work for next years Spring Fine Art Festival will need to fill out an entry form and liability waiver, have their drawings, paintings, watercolors and or 2D design projects matted and framed. If it is 3D artwork it may stand on its own support. Each student is allowed to submit up to two artworks from LPC art classes, 2A, 2B, 3A-D, 7A-D, 10, 11, 12A-D, 13A-D, and WELD 71. The work must be done between Spring 2016 and Spring 2017. The deadline this year to apply was April 13.
Art professor Sian Oblak has 17 students from her 3D design and painting classes showing at this year’s festival.
“The Spring Fine Art Festival is a wonderful opportunity for students in the art program at LPC to show their work to the rest of the college and to the community as a whole,” said Oblak.
The festival will be open until May 13 for students to enjoy their fellow students works in the three buildings.