The sunny window spot you typically go to do home- work in the atrium of the Lydia M. Olson Library has temporarily been transformed from tables and chairs to a unique art exhibit that holds photography, watercolor, graphite and acrylic art pieces all made by the NMU faculty and staff themselves.
The Faculty and Staff Juried Art Exhibit features artists from all over the campus community, such as the art and design department, the psychology department, NMU Admissions, the English department and more.
This is the first faculty and staff exhibit at NMU, although last February the library held a student juried art exhibit.
Senior Library Assistant Dana LaLonde, who wanted to exemplify the different abilities of the NMU faculty and staff, organized the exhibit.
“It’s to show off our talent on campus, because it is not just the art and design people that have it—all of our people are talented,” LaLonde said.
The submitted artwork is judged based on craftsmanship, its medium, and the uniqueness of the piece.
Nineteen out of 32 submissions were chosen to be featured in the exhibit by jurors Jack Deo, a local artist and Leslie Warren, dean of Academic Information Services.
The exhibit is a collaborative event, said LaLonde. Accessories were added to the atrium to hang art pieces as well as pedestals donated by the art and design depart- ment to turn the atrium into an art display.
“It’s great morale for staff and faculty, and it’s a way to show the students our different resources on campus, that art is incorporated in all aspects,” LaLonde said.
LaLonde thought the library would be the best location for an exhibit such as this, because the library is the heart of campus, she said.
“People are in and out of the library that might not make it over to the DeVos Art Museum. This is a good way to expose them to something else,” LaLonde said. “You never know how seeing a piece is going to inspire people.”
LaLonde herself is an artist who graduated from Northern’s art and design department with a bachelor’s of fine arts degree and tries to integrate art wherever she may be, she said.
The Student Juried Art Exhibit had a really great response and LaLonde hopes to see both the student and faculty and staff exhibits happen annually.
“It’s exciting for me to organize because I get to see what’s out there and hear feedback. It’s creating opportunities not just for the faculty and staff, but for everyone,” LaLonde said. “It brings in people from our community to see Northern’s campus and see what we’re about.”
The exhibit began on Sept. 1 and will end on Oct. 15. A closing reception will be held 4 to 6 p.m on Oct. 13.
