Five works of art. Five concepts. Five responses.
The new “Re-Act” exhibit at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, which starts Feb. 3, couples five pieces from the museum’s permanent collection with five responses by art students from the around the Salt Lake City area.
Participating schools include Salt Lake Arts Academy, Salt Lake Arts Center, Bad Dog Rediscovers America, East High School and Youth City. Students attended the museum in the fall, where they viewed and analyzed the five pieces that would be in the exhibit, all of which had an environmental theme.
The museum provided the students with certain materials and a concept for their reaction piece. The five styles used were canvas painting, photomontage, shadowboxing, found object sculpture and printmaking. Each school was given a single message to keep in mind while it created its works. The concepts were inspiration, imitation, elaboration, translation and opposition.
Each response for the pieces incorporated the materials, theme and concept. A photo by Richard Misrach depicts a lone car in a barren desert. The students’ style was shadowboxing and the concept was imitation. Each of the responses represented a lush and green environment within the shadowbox.
“The work submitted by the students is a wonderful combination of material and ideas that are related to UMFA pieces, but ultimately original,” said Megan Hallett, curator of education at the museum.
Students from all ages and skill levels participated in the exhibit. The youngest student who participated was 6 years old and the oldest was 17 years old.
The oldest students came from East High School, who collaborated on their responses to “Radiant Springs” by Patrick Nagatani. During the beginning of the project, when the students viewed the piece, they analyzed its meaning and background.
“The kids did a lot of research,” said Trish Clay, an advanced art teacher at East High. “They wanted to make a statement.”
The East High art class consists of eight students, all of whom participated in the project. Clay said working together has brought the students closer to each other and the art community, creating more of a family.
“It is good for them to have a connection to the community,” she said.
The exhibit will run from Feb. 3 to May 10, with a reception March 21. Besides a special viewing of the exhibit, participants will be able to view the sculpture “Wrinkle” by Ken Little and react to it with their own sculptures. The museum will provide miniature, papier m’ché replicas of the model and let participants make it their own.