When walking into the Prichard Art Gallery, patrons first notice the giant art exhibit hanging from the ceiling. The Kaleb Bass creation is an extravagant mixture of fabric, string, wood and video projection all combined to form “Connected by Water.”
Continuing to walk around, patrons will find canvases hanging from the rest of the gallery walls displaying the collections of two more artists, Theresa Rushing and Dongming Zhao.
Four unique artists are displayed inside the gallery and included a slideshow projection of abstract portraits in a small viewing room on the second floor. This exhibit was made by Robbie Mann and is entitled “Men of Power.”
This MFA Exhibit, “In-Between Places,” is a makeup presentation for the four seniors’ culminating capstone projects that would have been displayed before their commencement last spring.
Gallery Director Roger Rowley said he offered the gallery for this event because he wanted them to have their senior experience. “
A lot of places just went to all online so their students never had a physical presentation of their work,” Rowley said. “We’re somewhat unusual in the fact that we actually did get to do the whole exhibition.”
On the main level of the gallery, a half-open door reveals three young boys sketching away while looking at a collection of random objects.
“It’s good for capturing the essence of the drawing when you’re just looking at the object without looking at the paper and your hand makes the movements, and after you can look at it and see where you could be more defined, which I see a lot of,” Linus, one of the boys, said.
These children are a part of the small group of Moscow Elementary students who get to attend the After School Art Program (ASAP) at the Prichard Gallery on Thursdays from 3:45-5 p.m.
The Docent Program, typically run by volunteers from the community, is field trip classes that patrons can take to visit the gallery, tour the exhibit and then take part in a hands-on art lesson.
Rowley explained the gallery receives a grant from the Idaho Commission For Art to help pay for arts education, which helps the Prichard Gallery maintain these beloved children’s programs.
On a typical year, upwards of 1,200 students visit the gallery, but because of the pandemic guests are limited and the 12 person class has decreased to five kids.
Instructor Jennifer Rod has been teaching these classes for three to four years and still manages to plan unique themes for each new semester.
“One time we did rock paper scissors,” Rod said. “Some of the classes (we did) had to do with rocks. Whether it was painting on rocks or drawing rocks…the paper ones, we of course drew on paper. We did some paper sculptures and then scissors; we did cut out things. So it just helps me to make a theme to plan lessons for.”
The class’s current theme is contour drawing, which is the drawing technique that was explained by Linus.
Each of the students sat at their table with a collection of figurines in front of them and multiple drafts sprawled across the table.
Silas, Bruno and Linus all explained the concept of contour drawings in similar terms, capturing the essence of the figurines and letting their hand movements follow.
Maybe one day Bruno, Linus and Silas’ work will be hanging in the main room at their MFA Exhibition in about 13 years.
Paige Fiske can be reached at [email protected].