Dayton Daily News

Work of local college students on view at Dayton Art Institute

- By Pamela Dillon WHAT:

Each year, the Dayton Art Institute offers four regional college art majors a chance at something big — to exhibit their artwork as a Yeck College Artist Fellow at the prestigiou­s venue.

This year’s scholarshi­p winners were Eva Lewis and Lucas Underwood Bergeron from Wright State University, Alexander Belmonte Paat from Cedarville University and Lauren Reis, a recent graduate of Miami University.

“The 2016-2017 College Artist Fellows were selected through a portfolio review and a formal interview process,” said DAI museum educator for school programs Christine Fleming. “The four fellows were carefully chosen based on their skill with a variety of media, as well as theirrange­ofs ubject matter.”

Lewis is presenting three works. One of them is a 30 x 40” oil on canvas, “Figure Study.” It depicts both art- ist and subjects posing in a stud io. In her work, she focuses on shape, tone and compositio­n.

“Creating naturalist­ic drawings is something I strive to do in my artwork,” stated Lewis. “My careful use of line and shape to inform the figure creates a clear sense of form and the illusion of depth.”

Bergeron is exhibiting three works, one of which is a 24 x 18” monoprint, “Neb- ulas.”

“During my creative pro- cess, I focus intently on my response to the dominant color I use,” stated Bergeron. “As a society, we correlate these emotions to colors based on a multitude of factors, both rhetorical and metaphysic­al, ranging from advertisem­ents to learned personal experience­s.”

Paat has been exploring the subject of masculinit­y, as it relates to strength, brotherhoo­d and manliness. He is presenting three works in this show, one of which is a 18 x 24” graphite on paper, “Vanity.”

“I use art to communicat­e my personal commentary

IF YOU GO

Yeck College Artist Fellow Exhibit :Dayton ArtInstitu­teSouth Extended Gallery-Lower Continues through August 13 :11a.m.to5p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday $8, free for members, college students/17 and under 937-223-5277, daytonarti­nstitute.org and examinatio­n of masculinit­y… with the definition of masculinit­y constantly [evolving],” stated Paat. “My investigat­ion of this subject was heavily informed by con- temporary American culture, specifical­ly portrayals of me ni n the media.”

Reis is inspired by the human figure and the process of aging, and uses sculp- ture and wearable art to demonstrat­e that process.

“My process is experiment­al and intuitive in nature. I work with mixed media mate- rials and affix them together by collaging, adhering and sewing in order to create opposing textures,” Reis said.

Since January, these four college artists have been busy teaching art studio sessions to 12 Yeck High School Scholarshi­p students at The Dayton Art Institute. The students learned a variety of new techniques using clay, wire, collage materials and oil paint.

“Our goal for the College Artist Fellowship program is to gather a diverse group of College Artist Fellows, with two main objectives. To provide a broad range of art-making experience­s during their studio sessions, and curate an interestin­g exhibition of emerging young local artists,” Fleming said.

The exhibition is made possible by The Dorothy and Bill Yeck Education Endowment.

“I was extremely honored to have such a wonderful opportunit­y to exhibit my artattheDA I,” Reis said. “It is surreal to have a series of artwork exhibited among the works of the esteemed artists featured in their collection,” Reis said.

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