A lasting impression
Art students display work in Tandy Hall until end of spring semester
By Meghan Youker
Staff Reporter

Senior painting major James Lassen was inspired by a crazy night at an art and music event at the Wreck Room, a local bar. His painting, “Experiencing the Art of Music,” captures his friends recovering on the stage at the end of the evening.

Now, Lassen’s painting is one of 26 pieces of artwork being shown in Tandy Hall.

Mark Muller, assistant dean of the M.J. Neeley School of Business, said faculty and staff in the building appreciate seeing the artwork.

“The building is a boring place to work without it,” Muller said. “It is crying out for work to be displayed in it.”

For the third year, the paintings, sculptures, prints and photos will remain on display throughout the spring semester.

Priced at $2,100, Lassen’s painting is one of the most expensive. The highest priced artwork, “Tree.3,” is $2,500, while some other pieces are not for sale.

Muller said business students come to a liberal arts college to be exposed to more than just accounting or finance. Business students can learn from art, just as art students can learn about business by trying to sell their work, he said.

“The business community supports public art,” Muller said. “Our hope is that business students will support the arts when they graduate.”

Students were invited by professors to display their work, said Ron Watson, chairman of the art and art history department. More students’ artwork is being displayed this year than ever before, he said.

Watson said the display gives the students the opportunity to show their work in a beautiful setting where there is a high volume of traffic.

The artwork on the second and third floors was organized by painting graduate student Terry Suprean. He said it was difficult because there is no specific formula for arranging artwork.

“It was like putting together a jigsaw puzzle,” Suprean said. “You just have to get all the work into one room and start playing with it.”

Suprean said he began by separating the socially motivated pieces from the abstract pieces, but eventually intermixed the themes of pieces based on their size and color.

Junior Kyle Draper, a former business management major, said while he did not notice the art at first, it does make the building’s environment more visually appealing.

“I don’t think it’s teaching me anything,” Draper said, “But it is more interesting than just plain white walls.”

Lassen said it is exciting to have his work displayed in a gallery-type setting.

“I like to know that people will be walking by my painting,” Lassen said.