It doesn’t come as a surprise when people speak about all the talent and beautiful art that comes from students attending Central State University, but they aren’t the only ones with gifts to share. The Fine and Performing Arts Department opened its annual Faculty Art Show Sept. 18, 2019, with a reception in Robeson Hall.
“We see the work of our students on a daily basis. It’s not often the students get to see what we’ve been working on outside of teaching,” Assistant Professor Dwayne Daniel said.
The Faculty Art Show began in the early 1980s and continues to showcase jaw-dropping pieces year after year. Daniel contributed several acrylic paintings. One piece, entitled “I told you,” is a close-up portrait of a young boy holding a story behind his eyes. “It’s the face of disappointment mixed with a little ‘I kind of knew this would happen’,” Daniels said.
Dr. Ronald Claxton, another contributing artist, said his pieces were meant to modernize traditional images and shine light on black beauty. “To me, art is all about how your work makes one feel. The special thing about art is that one piece can say a million different things,” Claxton said.
Sophomore Tiffany Randall visited the Faculty Art Show and was amazed by every piece she came across. “I’m not a big fan of paintings and stuff, but just knowing that my professor created this… that’s dope!” she said.
Randall took pictures of the art on her cell phone and made one of the images her screensaver. The piece, a work of graphic art by professor Mitchell Eismont, included text: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Matthew 25:35.”
The Faculty Art show will run through the end of fall term in the Paul White Gallery on the second floor of the Paul Robeson Performing Arts Center.