NIU Artists. Never. Quit. – Sculpture students in ARTS 361 create table top galleries

As NIU and the world around us deals with a global pandemic, artists continue to find ways to express themselves. In the College of Visual and Performing arts the learning and teaching hasn’t stopped, it’s simply evolved to meet the needs and limitations of the situation. Over the coming days, we’ll be featuring how NIU students, alumni and faculty in the arts are continuing to do what they love.

Students in Beginning Sculpture (ARTS 361) received an assignment from their instructor, associate professor Michael Rea to create a table top gallery.

For your third assignment, I would like all of you to consider the concept of “curation.” Curation is something most of us do on a daily basis, the music we choose to listen, the TV shows we watch, the books we read, and of course the things we choose not to listen to, watch, or read. Below I have linked a number of galleries and articles that I would like to first research and then start the next project. I would like all of you to substitute a tabletop in your home (basically any defined flat surface in the home) that will serve as the location of an art exhibition. Second you will need to curate an exhibition of works on your table-top galleries/museums. Not only should you carefully consider what objects will be included, but how they work together, and the overall layout of the collection. These works of art can be constructed from house hold items, or be singular “found objects,” (repurposed items found in the home). To establish the scale of your museum/gallery, you will need to create, or use a figurine as a stand in for the audience member(s). 

They had to do a short write up of their work and then post photos of their table top galleries on Instagram.

Here are some of the results.

 

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Table Top Gallery ‘Her Feminine Ways’ #niusculpture #beginningsculpture #tabletopgallery

A post shared by April Lynn (@aprillynnart) on Apr 14, 2020 at 4:45pm PDT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dinner Party, curated by Andrea Swofford. Swipe to see all the photos and the final statement #niusculpture #beginningsculpture #tabletopgallery A post shared by Andreaswofford (@swofandrea) on Apr 15, 2020 at 9:04am PDT

 

 

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“Toys as Art” . I’m a firm believer that anyone can enjoy toys and figurines no matter your age. There really is more to a toy than just something to keep a child busy. Years of development and design goes into making a successful toy that is functional, has playability, and is aesthetically pleasing. Included in this exhibit are My Little Ponies from first generation all the way to g4 and fan collectibles, Capsule Chix Holo glow collection, Shopkinz Lockets, Ed and Ein POP Figure, Tokidoki Unicorno and Moofia collectible figures, and Sylvanian Families/Calico Critters babies. . #beginingsculpture #niusculpture #toycollection #tabletopgallery

A post shared by Iggy (@iggys_quarentine_sculptures) on Apr 15, 2020 at 3:18pm PDT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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#niusculpture #beginningsculpture #tabletopgallery A post shared by Adolfo Salinas (@fofoboi4) on Apr 15, 2020 at 10:44am PDT

 

 

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City #niusculpture #beginningsculpture #tabletopgallery

A post shared by Lili (@lili579) on Apr 15, 2020 at 9:50am PDT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Curation project “Down the Road” I wanted to make a gallery that stems from my progress as an artist so I found some really old scetchbooks and put them up on the far right with high school work in the middle up to my new work on the far left. For the items I placed what has and does inspire me to keep doing art during those periods in my life. The first two pictures are the views from the figurines. Works in starting from the right, to the left 1.The Beginning Artist: Pantu Bryant Medium: old sketchbooks, gameboy, character figurines Date: 04/14/2020 2.High School? Not that again Artist: Blaze Bryant Medium: studio ghibli characters, high school work, spiderman, skull, band wristbands, Nintendo Date: 04/14/2020 3.Here and Now Artist: Legion Bryant Medium: Video games, controller, band lightstick,anatomy cards, skull, travel souvenirs, college artwork Date: 04/14/2020 #niusculpture #beginningsculpture #tabletopgallery A post shared by Dorothy Bryant ? (@d_s_bryant) on Apr 15, 2020 at 8:53am PDT

 

 

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Nostalgic Things (but this time everything is huge and you’re really small) Artists: Link and Sarah Media: Assorted found objects and artwork by Sarah Knifong Date: April 2020 For this week’s project on curation, I chose to make an exhibit using items that are important to me along with some of my own artwork. I chose this mix because the assorted items and rocks that are important to me were passed down from both my grandma and my mom. I wanted to mix this group of things together because they have both always been incredibly supportive of me pursuing my art. I wanted to make this more of an interactive exhibit than most. Most exhibits containing any kind of art are non-interactive. When I was thinking of how I could put these things together and make an interesting exhibit, I thought of how fascinating it would be to get to see all of these pieces so closely. In the various pictures I have the curator, Link, amazed at the textures of these larger-than-life pieces. There are a few smaller pieces on the oppositve side from the rest to make this exhibit as interactive as possible. #niusculpture #beginningsculpture #tabletopgallery

A post shared by Sarah Knifong (@sknifong) on Apr 15, 2020 at 6:04am PDT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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#niusculpture #beginningsculpture #tabletopgallery Exhibition title: “Argumentations on the Existence, or Falsehood Of, Essential Polarity” Curator: me [the rest to come in comments from my desktop because I refuse to write anymore than that on my shitty phone] A post shared by Connor M. (@atrumae) on Apr 15, 2020 at 2:10am PDT

 

 

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Curator: Drake Hayward Exhibition Title: “What’cha writing friend?” “Only thing I’m qualified to write about.” “What’s that?” “My life story.” — I gathered pieces from around my apartment to assemble them in a 3D piece that was meant to form one cohesive work composed of 6 smaller works. Many of the materials have been used to set the stage of the exhibition, and although they are included in the grand presentation, are merely present in order to hold the smaller works together in a cohesive way. The entire exhibition is made of of Anime Figures(read: weeb shit), Video Game Merchandise, Liquor Bottles, Cardboard boxes, and Micron Pens used to make most of my illustrative work. The theme of this show is me. It’s about my life and my beliefs. It’s pretentious, it’s blunt, it’s edgy. And it’s probably not worth the time, effort, and expensive materials that went into creating it. And if that doesn’t sum up the theme of my exhibition, then I don’t know what is. This work is largely satire and should not be taken at face value or be taken as a cause for concern. This show is only as important to the audience as its curator. The value and importance of this work is not for me to decide, only my audience can determine that. List of works included in the exhibition (in order of appearance): Hrake Dayward “Artificial Artists Block” Empty Bacardi Bottle, Ink on Paper Towel 11/7/2016 — Ekard Drawyah “Alcoholism, I choose you!” Plastic Poke’ball, Jim Beam 2/9/1995 — Hayrake Dward “Capitalism” Spike Spiegel Figure, Bloodborne Hunter Figure, Venom Troll Miniature 17th Century — Akerd Dwarhya “Visual Consumption” Gendo Akari Figure, Kaworu Nagisa Figure, Lucas Amiibo, Metal Table Fork, Metal Serving Fork 8/29/1940 — Yeahr Ddwahrk “Triumph, lest ye fall back to the beasts from which ye desperately crawled to escape” Deviljo, Banbaro, Teostra, and Dodogama Monster Hunter Figures, Behir Miniature, Ness Amiibo, Smirnoff 5/9/2021 — Guy who’s really running out of fake names “Artists Block”-or-“You did this to yourself” WIP Comic, Steel Mug, Oscar of Astora Figure 4/14/2020 #niusculpture #beginningsculpture #tabletopgallery

A post shared by Drake Hayward (@thegreatplagueof2020) on Apr 14, 2020 at 8:41pm PDT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Show: “There’s No Place Like Home” ~Tabletop Show for Sculpture . . . #niusculpture#beginingsculpture#tabletopgallery#art#artist#artistsoninstagram#artistoninstagram#sculpture#founditems#founditemsculpture#founditemart#wizardofoz#theresnoplacelikehome A post shared by Ariel Sargent (@the_ertist) on Apr 14, 2020 at 3:46pm PDT

 

 

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Sculpture Project 3-Art Exhibition “Colorful Curiosity: Bringing Imagination into Reality” The journey of an artist as they experiment with different materials and improve their artistic skills. #niusculpture #beginningsculpture #tabletopgallery

A post shared by Wolf Polito (@wolfpolito13) on Apr 14, 2020 at 9:31am PDT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Collector’s Delight, a tabletop gallery exhibition. #niusculpture #beginningsculpture #tabletopgallery A post shared by saffron (@number1tomato) on Apr 13, 2020 at 9:16pm PDT

 

 

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3rd project for sculpture. Curated a mini museum/gallery display. I call it, “A Display of Personality” #niusculpture #beginningsculpture #tabletopgallery

A post shared by Christina Tuskey (@artbychristina_) on Apr 13, 2020 at 12:59pm PDT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Artist name: Moxxie Title for the work of art: Childhood. Childhood! Childhood!? Medium: Plastic, metal, acrylic paint, and clay. Date of the work: 04/11/20 #niusculpture #beginningsculpture #tabletopgallery A post shared by ᗰOTᕼ ᑕᒪOᗯᑎ (@bedtimebara.exe) on Apr 11, 2020 at 1:51pm PDT

 

 

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#niusculpture #beginningsculpture #tabletopgallery 3rd at home sculpture project. A day in my life museum. 4 galleries. Passion, Home, Necessity, Nature. The close up photos are what the figurines see.

A post shared by Ronnie Lofton (@fireman112011) on Apr 11, 2020 at 3:27am PDT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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#niusculpture #beginningsculpture #tabletopgallery TITLE: Essence of Earth. A post shared by Caroline Jane (@caroliinejan3) on Apr 8, 2020 at 6:27pm PDT

 

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