Several artists submitted work but only 10 were selected.
The LCC Art Gallery continued celebrating its 40th anniversary Feb. 22 with the introduction of an exhibit aptly titled “40 Works.”
The gallery made a call for entry among artists and its committee chose 10 favorites to be featured in the exhibit. Each artist then completed four works, which made the total 40 works of art.
“The call for entry was open to artists in any medium,” Jennifer Salzman, art gallery committee chair, said. “The only stipulation was that they had to be from the Pacific Northwest.”
Quite a few artists answered the call, one of which came from Washington state while most came from Portland. Several artists from the Salem and Eugene areas responded as well.
One Eugene area contributor was student Rob Morrison.
“We didn’t put any stipulations on (the call for entry). So we were pleasantly surprised to see his art,” Salzman said.
Morrison said he stumbled upon the call for entry online and decided to submit a self-portrait piece made of steel and glass.
“These were started as a project I did for my introduction to sculpture with Lee (Imonen),” Morrison said. “I kind of associate myself with the glass in these particular pieces and the metal is kind of more a constraint, life choices, stuff like that.”
Winter term marks Morrison’s fifth term at the college. He considers his return to school the mark of his anniversary as an artist.
“I’d been glass blowing for a little while, but to me it was more production level-type stuff. Marbles and jewelry, stuff like that,” Morrison said. “I met a really popular glass artist about two years ago and he challenged me and offered to mentor me to what he calls artistic maturity. That progress took me back to school, and reading and stuff like that, and that’s really what I like to consider making art.”
Morrison’s five terms at the college have taken him further than he ever expected.
While much of this comes from the influence of his teachers and peers, the exhibit has played a role as well.
“I’ve had a lot of positive feedback and quite a lot of buzz about (the sculptures) and teachers that are proud of me and stuff like that,” Morrison said. “It’s great. I’m very happy right now to be here at LCC.”
The LCC Art Gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery is located on the first floor of Building 11.
