By Bethany Merryman
A&E Editor

When I first signed up for the Art Seminar: Women in Art class, I had no idea what to expect. The course has turned out to be better than anything I had imagined.

Professor Maureen Vissat has led the class of 22 students through the history of women in the art world, including both female artists and female art supporters. Along with the historical analysis of women in art our class has also been preparing our own Women in Art Exhibit for Seton Hill University’s (SHU) Harlan Gallery.

The exhibit of both national and regional female artists opened on November 1st and will be running through November 22nd. Harlan Gallery is open Monday-Thursday from 5-8pm, Friday 1-3pm, and Sunday 1-4pm.

The show has 44 pieces of art, represented by 27 female artists, which include painting, mixed media, photography, and sculptural mixed media pieces. The exhibit is opened to the public free of charge.

On the last Friday of the show, November 20nd a symposium will be held at 11:30am in Reeves Theatre, which will give artists the chance to discuss their experiences as female artists in today’s society.

Through the course, our class has been handed amazing opportunities. Not only have we been learning about women in art, but we also juried the entire show from the start. With the help of Professor Vissat and Carol Brode, we created a process to choose each piece that has gone into the show.

Outside of class we designed and hung the show with the help of Harlan Gallery’s director Brode. Students of the class are also giving docent tours of the exhibit to classes who schedule through Vissat. The docents will explain specific pieces and the exhibit as a whole to students and professors.

Cash awards were given to the top three pieces in the show, which the class also chooses, and three honorable mentions have been rewarded to artists.

We have worked all semester to prepare for this exhibit and I can assure you it is worth stopping by. Our wonderful professors, Vissat and Brode have guided each of us through an amazing experience that students don’t often get.

Support the Art Seminar: Women in Art’s class and the national and regional female artists as we celebrate this exhibits opening and running at SHU’s Harlan Gallery. If you have any questions about the exhibit please contact Brode at 724-830-1071 or at brode@setonhill.edu.



Categories: A&E | Bethany Merryman