An architecture school exhibition committee pulled back curtains shrouding the school’s courtyard Monday to reveal student displays of hand-sculpted models and watercolor paintings.
The 26 pieces in the display are part of the first annual College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture’s All-Student Exhibition, which included a competition.
“The exhibition is one of many ways to support increased communication and cross-fertilization of design ideas throughout the college and surrounding community,” said John Cary, a junior in the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.
The event is organized by the college’s student board. The American Institute of Architecture Students, the Minnesota Chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects and the American Institute of Architects supported the exhibition.
Ninety-five pieces by architecture and landscape architecture students were originally submitted. Saturday, a jury selected the pieces that would be exhibited.
Three members of the design community, including a University studio arts professor, an architect and a landscape architect, served as the jury.
The jury chose graduate student Stephen James’ painting “A Section,” and senior Dan Whittaker’s multimedia work “Motion Picture Memories” as Best of Show winners. Each received a prize of $150.
The exhibition is an opportunity for professionals, students, staff, faculty and the public to view projects accomplished within the college, Cary said.
Besides individual class critique, in which projects are on display for an afternoon, the college offers students no venue for exhibition or publication, said Lucas Alm, a graduate student and organizer of the event.
Displays include not only architecture models, but a variety of exhibits, including metal sculptures, drawings and lighting fixtures.
“It shows the range of the interests of our students,” said Tom Fisher, dean of the college.
Jurors were looking for unique, eye-catching pieces — not necessarily a polished product. They also looked for thoughtful concepts, Cary said.
The exhibit is one of the few opportunities for students to show off their work. Since the college revised the student publication Works, faculty dominate the pages, Fisher said.
“The students were feeling like they lost their own voice,” he said.
Pending additional contributions, the exhibition committee plans to publish a 48-page booklet for release in fall 1998. It will document the exhibit and be used as a recruitment tool for the college. The booklet will also be distributed throughout the community to expose local companies to students’ work, Cary said.