The student group Bowdoin Art Society received over a hundred art submissions from students, including photographs, paintings, sculpture, video and even a proposal for live body painting. The Longfellows, one of the six a cappella groups on campus, performed three songs.
Tom Rosenblatt ’16 and Emily Stewart ’16, co-presidents of the Art Society, led the selection process. And with Sophia Cheng ’15, Emma Wheeler ’15 and Julián Huertas ’16, they organized the night of art and music.
One of the most intriguing pieces was an installation in the basement by students in a sculpture class taught by Assistant Professor of Art Jackie Brown. The piece consisted of yellow smiley stress balls hanging from the ceiling like beads on a string. Aluminum foil covered the walls of the basement, giving the impression of a mirror.
Some of the smiley faces had messages written on them, which referred to the theme of the show, which explored how we establish a public image and create authenticity in a world where social media portrays a self removed from the reality. The messages included the words, “conformist,” “homesick,” “smile to cover it up,” “not good enough,” and “who am I?” among many other impressions and words.
President Barry Mills ’72, who checked out the show Thursday night, complimented the talented artists on Bowdoin campus. As for the basement installation, he remarked, “It’s impressive, but very scary at the same time.”
Photos by James Marshall
