Each year, the Southeastern Contemporary Art Gallery hosts a faculty exhibition. This year’s event is titled Outside, In. The event gives art + design faculty a chance to showcase their work to the community and students. 

The exhibition opened last Thursday, Sept. 1 with a range of artistic themes to enjoy. In previous years faculty members selected the pieces for the event, but this year director of the Southeastern Contemporary Art Gallery and professor Cristina Molina enlisted the help of art curator and gallery owner Leslie-Claire Spillman.

Spillman helped the faculty choose their pieces and then set them up in the gallery as an effortlessly cohesive show. Her expert eye made the exhibition feel like a cohesive event, while allowing each piece to command attention individually.

“Christina asked me, she was looking for a way to amplify the exhibition. It’s a lot more fun to have somebody engage you in conversation about what you’re working on and try to find a common ground in the work. That’s what I did,” Spillman said.

The gallery displayed numerous art + design faculty and their talent. From oil paintings by Tom Walton, Eric Huckabee and Mitchell Long to Venessa Centeno’s interactive installation Embrace. Students and faculty were guided around the space by unique pieces that used multiple medias and themes from landscapes to dreamscapes.

Visual Art + Design undergraduate coordinator and instructor Ben Diller was inspired by imagery while walking his dog and the transition from isolation back to society.

“It is my hope that the audience will connect with the imagery and get a sense of the experiential nature, passage of time and environment,” Diller shared.

The event offered hors d’œuvres and drinks for guests. Many of the artists featured were also in the gallery; this gave students and attendees the chance to ask questions about the creative process as well as connect with their faculty.

The exhibition is open to all students and the community. Everyone is encouraged to come and experience their work before the exhibition closes on Sept. 29.The Southeastern Contemporary Art Gallery is located next to Clark Hall. For gallery times and further information visit southeastern.edu/slucontemporary/ and their Instagram @ slu_contemporary.