Students experience ‘Spirit + Matter’ Exhibit through painting, music and creative writing
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Professor Schiller's students visit the Walsh Gallery and Archives.
On Monday, January 23, the Walsh Gallery opened its first exhibition of 2023, "Matter + Spirit." The show features Seton Hall University’s Lauren Schiller, Professor of Fine Arts, whose finely detailed oil paintings grace the entry to this group show. Curated by Rachel Taylor of Calvin University, the exhibition stems from a residency that brought together a cohort of artists from North America that traveled to China in 2018 to engage with colleagues in that country. The show is a sort of visual dialogue resulting from this two week program which acquainted participants with the current art scene in China while focusing their attention to the place of spirituality in contemporary life. On the afternoon of the opening reception, Professor Schiller discussed her experiences in China in a presentation attended by students in her Painting I class, faculty and retired faculty. This was followed by a visit to the gallery to view the exhibition and Schiller’s paintings. Schiller also made remarks at the opening reception to the larger group of attendees later that afternoon.
Open reception at the "Spirit + Matter" Exhibit, filled with song.
After Professor Schiller’s remarks at the opening reception, which coincided with the Lunar New Year, students studying Chinese Language (Mandarin) with Dongdong Chen, Asian Studies, Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures welcomed the Year of the Rabbit with a chorale performance of songs in Mandarin to an enthusiastic crowd.
Professor Nathan Oates' Introduction to Creative Writing Class.
"Matter + Spirit" was later visited by Professor Nathan Oates’ creative writing class. Students were given a brief talk on the formation and theme of the exhibition before exploring the show independently. They then settled in to write an assignment based on an object they selected from the 44 artworks on display. Some students were attracted to traditional forms of art such as painted scrolls featuring panoramic landscape imagery, while others were drawn to a multi-media installation featuring LED lights, kinetic elements, and drawing, while other students preferred to investigate AR (augmented reality) artworks that are activated with a mobile phone app they can download to their cellphone.
The Walsh Gallery welcomes visits for personal enjoyment and enrichment. We also welcome scheduled group visits with that use the exhibitions or university’s collections for pedagogy and research. If you would like to inquire about how the gallery and special collections can support your teaching and learning experience with objects and/or exhibitions, please contact us at [email protected].
The Walsh Gallery has a considerable collection of fine art, artifacts and archeological specimens for use by faculty, students and researchers. For access to this or other objects in our collections, contact us at 973-275-2033 or [email protected] to make a research appointment. Now on view in the Walsh Gallery: "Matter + Spirit" through Friday, May 12th. The gallery is located on the 1st floor of the Walsh Library and is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.. Groups of 8 or more must make an appointment prior to visiting.
Categories: Arts and Culture, Nation and World
