Will all the art fans please stand up?
The Hicks Art Center gallery in the Newtown campus is hosting a gallery supplied with works from only Biennial Arts Faculty.
Fran Orlando, Director of Exhibitions and the Artmobile at Bucks, explained that the Hicks Art Center Gallery “is a learning resource for the entire campus” that presents “several curated exhibitions featuring a variety of media that explore topics such as memory, racism and local history.”
The current exhibit contains a wide array of subject matters across multiple different mediums. Religious representations captured charcoal and paper, different worlds concocted in colorful glass bubbles and dreams embodied in wood carvings will allow students to escape from the stresses of school and work and envelop themselves in a calming and easily accessible space.
The exhibit is supplied exclusively by faculty of Bucks’s Art Department and is meant to showcase the artistic capabilities of locally grown artists. With 32 different works covering mediums such as “sculpture, painting, drawing, photography, digital imaging, glass, and even music”, the exhibit truly shows off local talent.
Each piece is accompanied by artist talks and other programming to enrich the experience including descriptions of past galleries they have been featured in, a short biography, and a list of awards they have won for their various works. This information allows the view to gain a greater connection with both the art and the artist. Such immersion increases the enjoyment of the gallery, leaving the viewer relaxed and tranquil upon leaving the Hicks Art Center gallery.
Bucks is a part of the small number of 2 year colleges that is an accredited institutional member of both the National Association of Schools of Music and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The Art Department also offers academic programs leading to nine associate degrees and three certificates.
Orlando states that there are regular free art viewing opportunities for “art lovers and learners”. The Art Department has a longstanding tradition of art appreciation, dating back to before the college even opened. “Stella Elkins Tyler, who owned the estate with her husband George, was a sculptor who founded the Tyler School of Art at Temple University. Her bronze figures can be seen throughout the Tyler Gardens”. Art is in constant swing at Bucks. “Just last week, we installed five outdoor sculptures, on loan from the artists for two years,” said Orlando, giving students tasteful glances into the art world.
Student are able to view the gallery in the the Hicks Art Center Gallery, located on the campus at 275 Swamp Road, Newtown, Pa., 18940. Students can drop in from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Friday, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.