The Ferris/Kendall Faculty Exhibit features the works of staff members from the Big Rapids and Grand Rapids campuses. The faculty exhibit is displayed yearly, but the exhibit alternates between the Ferris art gallery and the Kendall art gallery in Grand Rapids.
Carrie Weis, Director of the Rankin Art Gallery, said that the faculty exhibit is a chance for Ferris students to see the works that their professors create. By showcasing the work of faculty, Weis believes that the students will gain a greater appreciation for their professors because they can see how much time they put in outside of the classroom.
“For art and design faculty it is critical to create new work on a regular basis,” said Weis. “It is the equivalent of research for any other discipline.”
Robert Barnum, professor of art at Ferris, said, “This combined Ferris/Kendall Faculty Art Exhibit is a visual example of the substantial growth in and with a creative academic agenda at Ferris.”
Barnum went on to say, “This creative potential, as is obvious when one considers this academic talent pool in this exhibit, suggests the growth in universities away from manufacturing and labor and towards new ideas.”
Barnum has multiple pieces of art being featured in the faculty display this year. He said the art that was most inspiring in the display to him was the small scale sculptures designed by the Kendall jewelry faculty.
There is a variety of work on display in the gallery including video art, sculptures, paintings, drawings and printmaking.
The faculty art exhibit will be on display from Jan. 11 to the 26. The gallery is open for viewing from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be an artist’s reception with live music and hors d’oeuvres on Thursday, Jan. 14 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.