What I Learned From Entering an Art Exhibition

Last semester, I was presented with the opportunity to participate in an annual art show organized by my scholars program at OSU. My main motivation for applying for a spot in the show was the lack of an art class in my schedule. All I was looking for was an opportunity to draw and display something. I’m no art major, and I wasn’t expecting to win best in show. However, as is the college way, getting involved in the show provided me with some mini learning experiences. I had a few “Aha!” moments, if you will.

The application process was standard, but when I went to write my artist statement, I had to do a little evaluation. I surprised myself with the fact that I did not have an immediate response to the question “What was your inspiration for this piece?” The theme of the show was along the lines of America and patriotism, and I intended to submit four pencil drawings representing songs by American artists. “American Pie” had unintentionally popped into my head when I read the theme for the first time, so I took the music idea and built on it from then out.  With the deadline for submitting the statements hours away, I came to the conclusion that it had to have been my own appreciation of music and the emotional response it provokes in people that inspired my project. I realized how, unconsciously, I had immediately thought of music as a way to define a culture. I saw how inspiration doesn’t always come when you’re looking for it, but rather it is your gut and your instincts becoming clear to you.

I made my piece and observed the progression of my friends’ pieces. It wasn’t until all eleven entries were put together in the exhibit that I really considered how much work went into our little show. I thought about all the work I put into my own sketches. The thought of all the hours I spent perfecting them came to mind as I admired them on the wall, hanging there, my perfect babies. I was in for another realization; everyone else felt the same way about their own work, and we were all gathered around, proud of ourselves and each other. It was fascinating to me how differently we all portrayed the same theme.  We all went through the painstaking process of conceptualizing and creating art, and all the collective time and effort we spent filled that room with a diversely beautiful representation of America.

It’s amazing how an act of pure leisure can affect the way you view some small part of your world.