Arts

“Bravura” describes Kent State University student exhibition in Summit Artspace

Summit Artspace, a Knight Arts grantee, is such a cooperative and collaborative place. Local artist groups display their works there, and artists in fact have studios there. Yet there is room for still more, such as the current exhibit called “Bravura” that features the work of Kent State University seniors in their own show.

Don Parsisson, who coordinates much of the displays on the third floor of Summit Artspace, said in an interview that he got a call from the School of Visual Communication Design to see if the school could mount its Photo Illustration Senior Exhibition. Parsisson thought it was a great idea, for it would open up the space to other venues and do something for students and relations to a neighboring city.

The result is that the exhibit takes up most of the central floor space of the large Summit Artspace building. What also occurred is that the captivating works (with an underlying commercial purpose) were brought to area art viewers by the students: Meg Billy, Megan Duffy, Kayla Lugo, Emily Engle, Chelsea Tobin, Michael Reece and Adriana Gonzalez.

The opening reception for the group was chaotic, but fun. Certainly family members were there to support their children, but so were officials of the school and the many art lovers who were looking at the displays on the first floor of the building (“Adorned Spaces”) and the two-woman show in the back end of the third floor (by artists Bernadette Houk and Maggie Duff).

The academic program in Photo Illustration has its majors use light, cameras and digital technologies to create, interpret and produce imagery from narrative, thematic and conceptual sources.

Students practice basic camera techniques to gain a better understanding of photography as a creative skill in visual communication, and an advanced working knowledge of digital and film photographic systems through testing of procedures and use of special purpose materials.

It all worked. Some really eye-catching and provocative pieces were on display. One that immediately jumped out was “Just One Bite” by Meg Billy. Billy’s online biographical sketch says that she enjoys the photographic magic that can be created through the use of photo manipulation and retouching.

Meg Billy, “Just One Bite.”

“Bravura” will be on display 12-9 p.m. Thursday and 12-5 p.m. on Friday-Saturday through May 23rd on the third floor of Summit Artspace, 140 E. Market St.,Akron; 330-376-8480; www.akronareaarts.org. Admission is free.