The weather outside might have been dull and grey, but the Old Engineering Shops were filled with vibrant colors as the LSU Painters’ League held their second Fresh Paint student show.
Fresh Paint began in April 2007. The show is coordinated and hosted by the painting and drawing students at the University.
Leslie Charleville, studio art senior and chair of the event, said the event was not originally planned to be a yearly event.
The event was set up inside the Old Engineering Shops because of inclement weather. Students’ artwork was set up inside on huge wooden walls and featured pieces in pastels, watercolors, oils and other various media.
Charleville said Fresh Paint is important for the art students at the University because it provides them with an opportunity to show their work.
“As an undergrad especially, there’s not that many venues to show your work,” Charleville said. “You can fight to get into coffee shops or bars, or you can submit work to these juried shows, but there’s no guarantee that you’ll get it. We provide one show a year where anybody can show.”
A quote from artist Lee Krasner was seen in various places in the Old Engineering Shops – written on pieces of paper, drawn onto the wooden walls and screened onto the shirts of the members of the Painters’ League.
“I never violate an inner rhythm. I loathe to force anything,” it read.
Charleville said the quotation was the theme of the event, and it represents the artistic process.
“As an artist, we all feel like we have this inner rhythm, things that make us move toward making paintings, making art,” Charleville said. “If you follow that inner rhythm and that thing that sparks you and that thing that makes your creativity flow, that’s what makes your art good.”
Robyn Denny, studio art senior, said Fresh Paint was a great way to show art because it did not have a competitive feel.
“Students showing work together gives you a big community feel,” Denny said. “Sometimes in the art department, you don’t get that. It’s competitive.”
Denny said the show served as a platform to prepare her for the professional art world.
“It’s really hard to get into galleries, and it’s just good to test the waters,” Denny said. “You need to build up to get into galleries. It’s definitely getting me ready for the world.”
Mikelyn Matthews, studio art senior, said the show gave the art students a forum to share feedback with their peers.
“This environment is a little bit more laid back and more open,” Matthews said. “It’s easier to share feedback with each other about certain things that work or don’t work.”
Matthews said the show also helped the Baton Rouge community learn about their work.
“People really don’t know what we’re about,” Matthews said. “I think we have a lot of variety and great things to offer. It’s just a great way to get out and voice what we do.”
Michael Crespo, art professor and adviser for Fresh Paint, said the program allows the University to see what art majors are doing.
“It opens up the painting program to the University,” Crespo said. “This is a really talented group of painters, and we want to show them off because we’re proud of them.”
Katie Cook, business sophomore, attended the show and said she was impressed by the caliber of the artwork at Fresh Paint.
“They’re just amazing painters,” Cook said. “I didn’t realize there was this much talent here at LSU.”
Charleville said she was sad to be graduating because the artists within the department are doing amazing things.
“The rest of the LSU community and … the Baton Rouge community is going to be seeing a lot more of the LSU painting department,” Charleville said. “We are doing some really good things in this department. The painters at LSU are becoming a force to be reckoned with.”
—-Contact Sarah Aycock at [email protected]