VCU students to host senior sculpture show
The VCU senior sculpture students will have their final show on Friday, April 18, which was made possible through a Kickstarter campaign headed entirely by the students themselves.
Maya Earls
Spectrum Editor
The VCU senior sculpture students will have their final show on Friday, April 18, which was made possible through a Kickstarter campaign headed entirely by the students themselves.
Senior sculpture student Mallie Sanford said everyone who is participating submitted their work to the student curators, Valerie Molnar and Matt Spahr, in the past week and are now in the process of creating their pieces.
Because there is no common theme, Sanford said there will be a variety of artwork on display.
“There will be installations with projections, video work and performances,” Sanford said.
Even though VCU does provide to the seniors some financial support, Sanford said it is not enough to cover all the costs of renting a location and preparing the space for art displays. To cover the rest of costs, the organizers of the show started a Kickstarter campaign. By the time the campaign ended on March 30, the seniors had raised $3,145. Noelle Choy, senior sculpture student, said she felt they were lucky to receive a large amount of support in a short time period.
“There were a lot of generous people,” Choy said. “Within the first week we had already met a large percentage of our goal.”
Choy said during three years of training, her personal artwork has gone through many changes. For this show, she plans to include material she plans to use for her final sculpture critique. By having her final works in display, Choy said the senior show will be a celebration.
“It’s really special to think about having the last thing you are making, using everything you have learned and everything you have taken from your critiques, and putting it into a space for a show,” Choy said.
Sanford said she plans to go all-out for the final show.
“After I get out of school, I’m not going to have a space I can work in. I’m not going to be able to make something huge,” Sanford said. “So, I’m going to do that now.”
Choy said the show is not only for family members who have supported each artist, but also for the friends who provided critiques along the way. Sanford said she is encouraged to make the best work she can, because the show will be one of the last times she will be able to get feedback from her peers.
With the days flying by, Choy said she still finds it hard to believe the show will take place in a week.
“It’s really hectic now,” Choy said. “But I feel it will all come together in the end.”
Sanford said for the next senior class, the key to organizing a senior show is putting a lot of care into the project. Choy said ultimately the show benefits students the most so everyone should get involved.
“It’s almost a scary thing to go out and do,” Sanford said. “But the show gives you the ability to be as ambitious as you want to be.”
The senior show will take place at 1515 W. Broad St. and begins April 18 at 7 p.m.
