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By Cassie Arnett, ArnettC@Findlay.edu and Victoria Hansen, HansenV@Findlay.edu
Each year, University of Findlay studio art and graphic design seniors select their best pieces to put on display in the Mazza Museum’s Lea Gallery.
“Every senior decides what pieces they want to put on display,” Valerie Escobedo, Associate Professor of Art at UF, said.
Each studio art and graphic design major presents at their senior show, which gives them real-life experience in building a gallery. This helps to teach how to build effective displays for their artwork, which is a valuable skill in the fine arts.
This year, there are two senior shows that mix studio art and graphic design in the same gallery.
“Some years we’ve split them with the graphic design students in one show and studio art students in another,” Escobedo said. “This year, it’s mixed together, so we’ve got some studio art and graphic design in each show.”
A key part of the exhibition for the seniors is the sale of their artwork. The students choose what, if any, pieces they want to sell and set their own price for the work. Unlike many art galleries, the Lea Gallery does not charge a commission on the sale of art, meaning that artists get 100 percent of the asking price of their work.
“It’s pretty normal practice for galleries, especially commercial ones, to take a commission,” Escobedo said. “For example, the Findlay Art League takes a 30% commission, which appropriate for a local show.”
The next senior exhibition opens on March 4, with a reception on March 10 from 1-2:30 p.m. If an artist wants to have their art on display, the deadline for their entry for the Juried Student Art Exhibition is March 15, with the show opening on April 1.
