Today I had the opportunity to preview the Florida Keys Community College 2011 Student Art Show in advance of their opening exhibition and spaghetti dinner tonight (May 5th from 6 – 8 p.m.).  The student art show runs May 2 – June 10, 2011 and is held at the FKCC Library Gallery at 5901 College Road in Key West; you can call the library at 305.809.3194 or email them at library@fkcc.edu.

The breath-taker of the show is most definitively the peacock feathered chandelier which has been the central image of the show’s promotional materials.  What it lacks in execution is made up amply in gorgeous color and “wow” factor.  I do wish the library had chosen to hang the chandelier in a more prominent way, its current placing leaves it easy to overlook.  Sarah Bringle should be proud of her “Peacock Dreams” consisting of male peacock feathers on wood chandelier curtain shades.  I felt this was New York salon ready and could easily sell for ten times its current retail there.  Now it’s possible that the minor misalignment of the feathers was due to an artist’s miscalculations, or perhaps the shade got damaged in handling.  With a very minor adjustment, Bringle should be able to bring this simple and sophisticated peacock chandelier to the start of a long line of inventive and artful home decor products.

The next piece in my top four is pottery work.  Marilyn Kemp’s “Untitled” Raku.  It was chosen because it also mirrors the Key West showcase of turquoise and cream color.  Beautifully executed in exacting detail, I was surprised at two elements.  The first was the very low retail show price – I’m wondering who is counseling students on current market pricing and establishing price points from which to jump.  The second is the relative disservice one does to oneself by calling works “Untitled” particularly when they are trying to establish a name for themselves in the arts world.  We’re known by our works and I am generally of the opinion that only mature artists can afford to call works “Untitled” and only when they’ve developed a style that is immediately and uniquely identifiable.  All the same, great job on Kemp’s part (and perhaps she had her own reasons).  Also, let me say there is a second Raku work in the show you’ll want to note, and that is the white-on-white box piece with an antler handle which I believe is called “Antler and Bone”.  It was not for sale, so not reviewed here, but still worth very close examination.

Now you all know by now that I am very partial to paper and book arts, particularly when they hold a sculptural element and Maria Martinez does not let us down.  Presenting “Foolish No More” Book is a paper rosette candle wreath.  Again, its presentation on a relatively plain table does this work a disservice, but I loved the idea that Martinez overlooked the element of fire to present the transitory material of paper.  Martinez shows us this thoughtful work with a standard tea candle.  My only suggestion to her would have been to consider using a glass votive, thereby bringing in the elements of sand and air fused together by fire.

It just so happens that my last pick of the show is from our first male student, Ryan Daniels.  Daniels is presenting digital photography (which I am normally reluctant to review), but in this case I could not pass up bringing attention to the work called “Key West Streets”.  Recently, our street markers were repainted on posts and this has caused some minor local furor over the size, lettering, and sometimes re-naming of certain markers and street signs.  I thought Daniels was very smart and savvy to capitalize on a local hot topic by not only taking photographs of the various markers, but in assembling them in photo-collage and presenting the work as a digital photographic piece.  Multi-layered, technical, and a node to complexity, Daniels demonstrated a willingness to go beyond.  I look forward to seeing what he does next.  Now, I had a really tough time photographing under fluorescent lights and this is why true galleries don’t use them, but the gradient shades of gray are really captivating!

Three other side notes about the show.  Libraries no longer use card catalogue systems.  As such, the FKCC Library has opted to recycle theirs by offering the old cards as scratch paper seated near computer terminals.  WHAT?  For a paper artist and collagist such as myself, I would have paid good money for what I was able to quickly stash and snag away today in the rich heritage and literature history alone.  So if you go to the show, grab your handful too.

Secondly, it is generally poor practice to house an exhibition alongside other works not in the exhibition – especially in the case where you don’t have a separate room for display of a highlighted show.  In this case, it is a minor oversight but items like the painted wood box below drew attention away from the showcased works.  Not a criticism, just an observation – the box was neither in the style or content of the show itself and its brilliant red was an unnecessary focal point.

Lastly, nature is our ultimate and true teacher.  On your way out from what is sure to be a lovely and joyful evening celebrating the accomplishments of art students just before upcoming graduation, breathe in the tree outside of Administration Building A.  Get out to Stock Island and see the show – a good outing for the family and kids (there are only a handful of painted or illustrated nudes and they are done in good taste).