Photography students from NMU enrolled in AD417 Photography: Professional Practices are given the chance to showcase their work at a local coffee shop – The Crib until the end of April.

Students within this course are presenting the exhibition of SELF/ESCAPE. Every piece in the show represents a different theme of escape or self-expression according to the artist. The senior seminar class worked together to come up with the theme of the exhibition and, in turn, were able to practice showcasing high-quality work for the show. Professor Christine Lenzen assisted students with submitting their work.

“For many of the students, it is their last semester at Northern. The exhibition of their work is a way to celebrate their growth over their four years at NMU. It is also an opportunity for students to see how work can function outside of the academic environment and in the real world,” said Lenzen.

A handful of students from the class came together in order to practice their curating skills by setting up for the show. They were able to hang the work in any fashion that they seemed fit. Photos from these students are currently hanging in the front room on the first floor and are scattered throughout the second floor of The Crib. Some of the work is even available for purchase.

“Being able to have my work up in this exhibition was incredibly exciting. To be able to get my work out there in a tangible setting is not only something that is an honor to have as an artist but also a fantastic experience for life after graduation. It has really set me up for knowing how to enter into exhibitions or galleries and to properly prepare my work for just that,” said Hannah Muzzy, a senior majoring in photography and a current student in the class.

Lenzen has been teaching at Northern for 10 years and says that allowing her students to practice putting their work on display is an extremely valuable skill.

“Being able to showcase their work in the community is good practice for stepping into the professional arena – how do you curate images, install images and move from the digital environment to a physical environment,” said Lenzen.

The exhibition of SELF/ESCAPE is free for all to enjoy and can be viewed over a cup of coffee from The Crib.