LIHUE — An exhibit opened its doors Monday afternoon in the Kauai Society of Artists gallery at Kukui Grove Center. Presenting a plethora of artwork in various fields of study, the show has a reception Friday night starting at 6
LIHUE — An exhibit opened its doors Monday afternoon in the Kauai Society of Artists gallery at Kukui Grove Center.
Presenting a plethora of artwork in various fields of study, the show has a reception Friday night starting at 6 and ends Saturday.
“It is about ‘show sitting,’” said Matt Fulmer, the coordinator of digital media arts at the Kauai Community College. “We didn’t know if we could get the students to come out and gallery sit. It’s already a lot of work just to get the pieces out.”
People peeked into the KSA gallery, curious as pieces from the contemporary painting section and photos from the digital photography section beckoned and begged further investigation.
“This exhibition is a great opportunity for both the students and the Kauai community,” said Gary Ellwood, a digital video lecturer at KCC. “The students have the opportunity to present their finished work to the entire community. The students can see their work on the walls of a gallery, or on a big screen, and feel the pride of accomplishment that goes with a public display.”
Fulmer said previously, the student art exhibition was at the KCC campus at its Learning Resource Center or the One Stop Center.
“Holding the exhibition at Kukui Grove Center opens the display to the whole island,” Ellwood said. “Additionally, the community gets a window into the creativity being nurtured at the college, witnessing the new, home-grown talent, which is blossoming there. This is truly a win-win event for everyone.”
The Kauai Society of Artists donated the gallery space and waived commission fees to support the KCC students’ endeavors.
“We’ll have a student reception Friday night where people are welcome to come and meet some of the artists of these pieces,” Fulmer said. “Kukui Grove Center will also be celebrating its First Friday event with a preview of Father’s Day, so it should be pretty exciting.”
Angel Camarillo, a student pursuing a degree in graphic arts, said a lot of the pieces are available for sale.
“When we created the pieces, we did not think about salability,” said Camarillo, a second-year art student. “But there are pieces which are marked and people can check with the gallery sitters for pricing.”
Camarillo said gallery sitting gives her a taste of what to expect in the real world.
“I want to get a feel for what I want to make sure of what I will pursue in life,” Camarillo said. “Studying at KCC works for me because I can be closer to home and see my sister and brother grow up.”
Kamanakai Palama, another art student, was among those browsing the exhibit Tuesday. His digital photography work delved into nature and surf, smattered with a sunset.
“They told us to submit two or three of our pieces,” Palama said. “I turned in around 20 pieces, and it looks like they used a lot of them. I’m really happy.”
