Anderson gallery

Erika Wilkins

Spectrum Editor

Tucked between two large buildings, the Anderson Gallery sits just off of West Franklin Street. The small brick building with its soothing waterfall and small park benches is, like most Richmond galleries, unassuming in its presentation. Opening the paneled glass doors to the quiet exhibit space is best described as entering an eerily tranquil art-governed universe.

The humble environment doesn’t allude to the powerful show of art it currently possesses. The student pieces that grace the walls, floors and ceilings of the gallery are intoxicating displays of talent. The works make you yearn for a life all but consumed by art, art and more art.

The Student Exhibitions 2010 gallery presentation is an outstanding showing of both 2D and 3D art, which bodes well for the future of the Richmond art scene.

Most impressive are the photography and film, fashion design and painting and printmaking majors. Photography and film major Stephan Harrison Moenich’s “Voodoo Queen” and “Autumn Zombie Bride” digital prints are engrossing. The artist’s haunting depiction of two heavily painted women, draped in indigenous cloths and materials hang side by side on the second floor. His use of color and clarity of print make the prints standouts in an already impressive exhibit.

Cassandra Mulheron, a senior photography and film major, is another standout. Her digital photographs, entitled “Blackface vs. Whiteface,” are an intimate telling of a shedding of skin. She’s organized the mundane act of cleaning a face into a vivid portrait that’s has an undeniable personal connectivity.

But no matter your fancy, there’s a least one artist that will cater to your taste. It’s an outstanding exhibit that I recommend all VCU students take the time to see.

The Student Exhibitions 2010 will run until April 18. The Anderson Gallery is located at 907 1/2 W. Franklin St.

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