Art Department Presents "Open Studios"

The entrance to the Mayer Art Center is sprinkled with students in colorful screen-printed Open Studios t-shirts. Visitors walk in and immediately have their photo taken before entering the hustle and bustle of students working on various projects. Visitors are impressed by everything the studios have to offer. Whether it be 3D printers, painting, ceramics or fashion design, the Art Department showed off its greatest creative potential this past Friday night.All studios were open to the general public, and students from classes such as Printmaking, Ceramics and Drawing were there to show the guests what their classes looked like in action. In addition, a 3D printer was showcased as well, creating red “E” symbols, designed by lowers Kaitlyn Tonra and Owen Duke."I really liked seeing the 3D printer work. I’d never seen one being used before, so it was really interesting to see how it works. Before the Open Studios event, I didn’t even know that Exeter had 3D printers," lower Anna Barnes said.A new studio called the “Special Projects Studio” was open to the public for the first time at the event. The studio is currently being used as a space for students working on an independent fashion design project called “Print to Fit,” which focuses on "3D Design: Tech, Form and Fashion.”"Print to Fit is a fashion design competition, where teams of Exeter students put together a single outfit, inspired by an exhibit at the Peabody Essex museum that the groups visited,” upper Conrad Diao said, a member of one of the teams in the competition. At the museum, groups found inspiration at an exhibit that focused on a variety of Japanese fashion, from traditional to “avante-garde.” In addition, they were able to try on some of the garments and get a better feel for possible material ideas.At the end of the term, the groups' work will be showcased in fashion show. According to Diao, the Open Studios event was very beneficial to their project."There were tons of people who asked about our project during Open Studios who had no idea what it was. Lots of people wanted to figure out if it was a class or how to get involved.”"I especially loved seeing the Print to Fit studio because I didn’t really know much about it. After seeing one of the groups designing and coming up with ideas, I thought it was a really interesting idea, and it was great being able to see them work,” lower Pooja Punukuollu, an attendee of the Open Studios event, said.Barnes agreed, and noted, “I think that overall, the event was a success. It allowed for students who might not have had a chance to take a studio art to see what goes on in the art center, and they did a great job showcasing the 3D printers. Exeter’s art department has a lot to offer, and I hope that they have this event next year as well!”