A group of about a dozen UB art students are getting ready to display their work at an art exhibit in downtown Buffalo tonight, featuring work created solely by the university's students.
Untitled Art Gallery, located at 2331 Elmwood Ave., will be the backdrop for tonight's show, "Dreamscapes." The students rented the space, which was previously an empty storefront, to stage a student-organized and student-operated exhibit in a setting with an atmosphere different from that of the Center for the Arts, where their art is traditionally on display.
Chris Vesper, a senior computer art major, is displaying four pieces dealing with how man relates to the world, in the context of dreamscapes.
"Having this show outside of an actual school setting creates a different mood," Vesper said. "A school setting has a certain tone to it, as our work has to meet certain criteria in order to be shown. Now, we get more control over our own work, how it is displayed, and how we interact with people."
Aaron Mott, a senior computer art major and co-organizer of the show, agreed. "It feels more like the real world. When we display our art in the Center for the Arts, it doesn't seem authentic. It seems that you are being coddled and evaluated by your teachers."
Mott's work, along with the works of approximately 10 other art students, premieres tonight and will be on display through the end of December. The pieces on exhibition range from sculpture to photographs, media art and paintings.
"We are featuring surreal, abstract work dealing with the subconscious and dream states," said Mott. "Not only will there be work dealing with sleeping dreams, but the subconscious 'dream state' of an artist as they are creating."
Vesper said that since this is a totally independent project, students have control of their own subject matter. He said some artists do not enjoy having restrictions on what they can create.
Albert Chao, a sophomore fine art major and organizer of "Dreamscapes," said he is also anxious to get his work into a real off-campus gallery.
"It will be great for all of us to see a different scene, off-campus, instead of just being in the Center for the Arts," Chao said. "Our lives pretty much revolve around there."
Chao said another benefit of an independent show in the Untitled Art Gallery is exposure to professionals on the Buffalo art scene.
"If we have an off-campus base, as well as off-campus experience, we are more likely to get some gallery space in the future," Chao said.
After "Dreamscapes" concludes, Chao and Mott are planning another show set to take place in January in Clarence, N.Y., Mott said.
"We're trying to bring our work to communities all over Western New York," Mott said. "It should be great for the communities as well as us."
In the way UB's art program is currently structured, Mott said students do not always get a chance to collaborate freely, an opportunity he aims to provide with the independent art shows he has been organizing.
"This can really bring people together," Mott said. "It has turned out to be a lot more collaborative than I originally thought."
"Even students who aren't displaying work want to get involved - they are preparing refreshments or making posters," Chao said. "It has been great."
