Student aims to make connections
By Lindsey Rivait
Arts Editor
October 17, 2007
 Visual Arts grad student Amy Friend is organizing an art exhibit in the LeBel Gallery to promote connections on campus.
Friend is concerned with creating a stronger connection between students at the LeBel building and the main campus area. “It is really removed,” explains Friend. “Even just to do everyday administrative stuff on campus, you’re very disconnected. I think there are one or two classes for undergrads in the arts that are held on the main campus, but none for grad students.”
On the other hand, being removed from campus has its advantages. “It creates a close community,” says Friend. “It makes it a really small community in its own right.”
Friend is accepting submissions for the 12 X 12 Exhibition and Art Sale from students. Friend is also providing sheets of paper, 12 inches by 12 inches, to students in need of supplies. “Not everyone has the money to do things outside of school,” explains Friend. She is also organizing a 24-hour art-making event the Sunday before the exhibit opens. “Sometimes these projects get pushed aside and don’t get finished,” Friend says. Artwork submissions can be handed in before or even after the art-making event, as long as it is in by 10am on Monday, October 22 in the LeBel Gallery.
Submission to the exhibit is free and is open to everyone, not just Visual Arts students. “Faculty have been invited to participate as well,” adds Friend.
Submissions are 12 inches by 12 inches. “I was trying to be inclusive of sculpture as well, so I said as long as it fits inside a 12 by 12 box, then they can submit it,” she says. Friend encourages all submissions as long as the artists stick to the 12 by 12 rule.
Friend is accepting all media. “I had some students ask if they could do video work. I hadn’t contemplated including it because how can you sell it? But then I didn’t want to exclude people who do that, so I said yes. But, it has to be 12 seconds long,” explains Friend.
A similar art show in Toronto helped Friend in the organization of her exhibit. “The work was 12 by 12 and was displayed from floor to ceiling. The gallery sold each work for $200. The artist got $100 and the gallery got $100. There were no submission fees or anything like that,” says Friend.
“I was trying to do a little community linking,” says Friend, who finds that students are often too busy to be able to go out into the community and participate in arts events. Friend hopes that in being inclusive of as many different art formats as possible, more students will come out to the Gallery.
Each piece of artwork at the exhibit will be for sale unless otherwise noted. There are no set prices—students price their own work and keep the profits. “It’s interesting for the first and second-year students to have a chance to show their work, but also to see what it means to sell something,” explains Friend.
Sales are on a first come first serve basis and artwork must be purchased on the spot. Buyers can pick up their purchases on October 27. The ideal time to purchase artwork is during the opening reception on October 23, however.
“I think sometimes when you’re doing your own work, especially in the arts, students get caught up in their own studios and forget that we can actually do a couple things to work together,” advises Friend.
The 12 X 12 Exhibition and Art Sale runs from Oct. 22-27, 10am-5pm. The opening reception, which takes place on Oct. 23, runs from 5-10pm at the LeBel Gallery.
Submission forms to participate in the exhibit are available in the LeBel building. For more information, contact Friend at frienda@uwindsor.ca.
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