By Lian Benasuly
Sometimes students just go through the motions without truly reflecting on their campus experiences and personal identities, according to Yumiko Glover, a visiting lecturer in UCSB’s art department. But one UC Santa Barbara summer course allowed students to reflect on their experiences by creating two paintings and then show their artwork at UCSB’s Glass Box Gallery during a student exhibition that closed last Friday.
“It’s important to me to put these exhibitions on because we don’t normally talk about the issues everybody faces in the UCSB community,” Glover said. “By looking at these artworks and reading the artists’ statements, we can better reflect on our own issues and experiences on campus.”
Yumiko Glover, a visiting lecturer in the Art Department at UC Santa Barbara’s Glass Box Gallery. She gave 18 students the opportunity to explore their identities and display their work.
Last week, 18 UCSB students who took that summer painting course with Glover got the opportunity to display their two paintings in the Glass Box Gallery for the public to see.
On the final day of the exhibition, Glover organized a closing reception for students, friends and families to come celebrate the students’ hard work and creativity.
Each student created two paintings on the theme of identity — a self-portrait with non-traditional skin colors and a painting that expresses identity without depicting the self.
For English and Art double major Elena Aquilanti this course inspired her to continue painting outside the traditional classroom setting.
“I’ve learned a lot from our instructor because she gave really good feedback,” Aquilanti said. “She really believes in us as painters, not just as students. So, it was cool to experience the freedom inside of the class to go whichever way we wanted with it.”
Student artist Elena Aquilanti, to the right of her two paintings.
Students said the course taught them countless lessons about themselves and the art of painting.
“I learned to keep on going even if I didn’t like my painting because each painting goes through a really ugly stage where you don’t like it,” said fourth-year art major Kayla Fagan. “Then you keep on trying to make it better until it’s something you like.”
Student artist Kayla Fagan with her painting titled, “One Giant Leap.”
The 18 students spent 20 hours working on each of their paintings, according to Aquilanti and Fagan.
But the long hours and obstacles they encountered didn’t ruin their experience, Fagan said.
The light at the end of the tunnel was the opportunity to display their work in the Glass Box Gallery, said Glover.
The entire exhibition can be viewed in the photo gallery below:
Lian Benasuly is a fourth-year student at UC Santa Barbara, majoring in communication and pursuing a minor in professional writing. She is a web and social media intern for the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts.