On the second floor of Wilson Commons is a little showcase of art that goes by the name of Hartnett Gallery. Throughout the year, Hartnett has multiple exhibitions that run in and out of its studio periodically.
The gallery is an on-campus exhibition space that is run by volunteer undergraduates with the assistance of graduate advisors and funding from the Student Activities Office. Throughout the year, Hartnett showcases numerous exhibits featuring a wide variety of art.
Each year, the senior class organizes a gift to give to the school before graduating, whatever it may be. For the senior gift this year, the Senior Class Council and the senior class has voted and decided to give to the school a piece of art that they will purchase from the Hartnett Gallery. Every year, the gallery ends its schedule with an annual undergraduate show. Students submit their work for the exhibition and it is showcased until the end of the school year.
Last Thursday, Hartnett began this annual show. This year the 2006 council really wanted to involve the entire grade in choosing the gift to give. That said, the exhibition will remain open until May 7. During this time, all seniors are encouraged to stop by the gallery and vote on which piece of artwork they like the most and would like to give to the school. Not only are the seniors voting on the actual pieces, but they have also been asked to vote on where they would like to see the particular piece of work hung on campus.
“This year, in deciding what to do for a gift, we decided that the important thing really was not how much we gave,” Senior Class Council Administrative Co-Chair Princy Thottathil said. “When it came down to it, we wanted to increase the number of seniors who participated in giving the gift and choosing what it would be. I think this is the perfect way.”
The great thing about a gift like this is that students are essentially voting on the work of their peers. They are buying from the students, for the campus. In order to organize such an event, SCC worked with Hartnett coordinators. In order to make sure that everyone had the opportunity to showcase his or her work, the council extended the deadline until after spring break for students to apply to have their work showcased in Hartnett.
“We are really looking forward to this gift,” Thottathil said. “I think it is an excellent way to leave behind the legacy of our class by doing something that really everyone can say they were a part of.”
Lewis can be reached at slewis@campustimes.org.
