Students show off artwork

When students returned to campus from spring break this year, their minds were on getting back… When students returned to campus from spring break this year, their minds were on getting back to class, finding new places to live and braving the last few weeks of a frigid winter.

They were not thinking about art, and so the 14th annual Student Art Show experienced a lower turnout than usual this week.

The decision to reschedule the exhibit to the week after spring break could have contributed to its low turnout, said Hollie Freeman, the show’s art director.

“The Student Art Show isn’t exactly on the top of students’ minds when they are getting ready to leave for and returning from spring break,” she said.

Only about 50 people a day have come through the gallery this year, according to Freeman; in past years, more than 100 people viewed the show every day.

Located in the Kimbo Gallery in the William Pitt Union and sponsored by the Pitt Program Council, this year’s art show, “Urban Inspirations,” focused on cities and towns from Pittsburgh to Moscow.

Although mostly student work was displayed, PPC worker Mike Kelly said many people don’t realize the gallery is open to the public.

“But usually people from the public don’t just walk into the Union,” Kelly added. “Also, I am not sure how well publicized [the show] was.”

Despite the low turnout, student artists considered the show a good opportunity to display their work.

Chris Tachovsky, a marketing major at Pitt, submitted a black-and-white photograph of Forbes Avenue, taken last year from her Bruce Hall window.

“I just like to show everything in a different perspective that not many people would expect to see,” said Tachovsky, who focuses on photography more than painting and other types of art.

Tachovsky doesn’t sell the majority of her artwork through galleries like the Student Art Show. Instead, she relies mainly on word of mouth and her Web site to promote her art.

Tachovsky takes a wide variety of photographs, though she gets most of her income through portraits.

Nearly half of the artwork in the gallery focused on people. One photography display by Greg Constantine — the only non-student in the art exhibit — showed a frontal shot of people covering their faces with various objects, intended to symbolize the continuing struggle of North Koreans in Asia.

Faculty members from the studio arts department at Pitt will judge the artwork and award cash prizes for the top three entries

Kelly said that although it is technically a contest, the PPC considers the exhibit a display.

“It gives students an opportunity to show their piece if they don’t have a chance to,” Kelly said.

The exhibit opened March 14 and will continue through March 26.