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CMU Downtown Art Gallery Opens the Door to 2021

Student Art Show Begins the New Year at 437CO

CMU is one of a handful of Colorado universities that will deliver spring classes in-person with the campus remaining open. As a part of CMU, 437CO, the university's Downtown Art Gallery, will also reopen its doors in 2021. 

The first exhibition of the year will feature work from CMU photography students and is called Through the Viewfinder.

"For this exhibition we encouraged students in the art and design program to broaden their artistic knowledge and expand their repertoires of techniques by exploring traditional and contemporary processes," said Professor of Art and Gallery Director KyoungHwa Oh. "We are excited to begin the year with the exhibit and are proud to be doing our part to introduce student art into the community at at time when we need it most."

The upcoming exhibition will present digital images along with traditional cyanotypes, salt printing, albumen printing and gum bichromate printing. Salt printing is one of the earliest photographic processes and was developed by Henry Fox Talbot in the 19th century. The process is still introduced in CMU's art and photography classes taught by  professor Forrest Zerbe and offers students an in-depth knowledge of past and present techniques.

When asked about the legacy of his technology, Henry Fox Talbot said that, “I do not claim to have perfected an art, but to have commenced one, the limits of which are not possible at present exactly to ascertain.” Offering both the traditional and digital techniques, CMU hopes to position students to use their creativity and move art forms to new limits.

CMU photography student Jinglin Huang has begun to master several of these techniques, which is evident in the work she will have available for viewing during the exhibition.

"Our students expanded their repertoire by exploring new processes using limited resources while creating art at home during quarantine," said Department Head Susie Garner, MFA. "We are pleased that as we navigate the complexities of the pandemic we can once again begin sharing the talents of CMU art students with the larger community."

The exhibition will open with a reception on Friday, February 5 beginning at 5pm. The artists will provide remarks at 5:30pm and the reception will conclude at 8pm. The exhibition and reception are complementary and open to the public while following pandemic precautions from Mesa County Public Health and the CMU Future is Now planning initiative. 

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Written by David Ludlam