The Tempest

Issue date: 11/28/07 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Dawn Bonner Kitsch or class? Who decides? A rich velvet Elvis is on show at Herger Gallery on loan from the Velveteria Museum in Portland, Ore. The exhibit runs through Dec. 12.

If you like Elvis, Barbie, and Hello Kitty, then the Herger Gallery is the place to visit. The exhibit "A Matter of Taste: The Art of Kitsch" is the newest exhibit and will be on display through Dec. 12.

The Art 60: Exhibition Design students put together an interesting array of art that includes eight professional artists and two of pieces of art on loan from the Velveteria Museum in Portland, Ore. The exhibit provokes thought about what is class, or trash and who has the authority to label it as such by looking at the disparity between kitsch and "high-art" and observing how they are strongly interrelated in the art world.

Solano College instructor Ferdinanda Florence said, "It's a fun show. Fun as well as being a great teaching show."

To celebrate the opening of the exhibit, a reception and artist talk was held on Nov. 14 at the gallery, also hosted by the Art 60 class.

The instructor of the class, Janene Whitesell, said, "Exhibition design students learn how to design and install art exhibits. It is a real hands-on class."

The class decides what the topics will be for the exhibits, and then comes up with the artists and the pieces that will be in the shows. The students not only do the installations inside the gallery, they come up with the theme for the display window advertising the exhibition.

Art 60 student Ed Quartemont said, "I enjoy it, it's a good class. I do a lot of traveling and see a lot of museums, so it gives me a good perspective of what goes on behind the scenes."

Artist Scott MacLeod does collage art using cutouts, paint, and varnish, said, "It was fun letting Janene convince me to start thinking about my work in a new way. I didn't think I had anything for the show until she started showing me some of my pieces. You have to get used to trusting other people's eyes. As an artist you sort of get blinded by your own stuff."

SCC Instructor and artist Marc Lancet, looking at MacLeod's art on display, said, "[MacLeod's] Still the champ."

Student Joseph Cornell attended the show and said, "It is a beautiful, beautiful show. I highly recommend it."

The Herger Gallery is in the 1300 building and is open from 9 a.m to 4 p.m Monday through Saturday. This will be the last exhibit of the semester.

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