Stepping into the glass-walled Chan Gallery in Pomona College’s Studio Art Hall, it takes only a glance to notice that the pieces lining the walls are unfinished.
The works are a part of the “Works in Progress” exhibit, which opened Oct. 2 and will be on display until Oct. 16.
The exhibit, organized by the 5C Artists’ Coalition, allowed any 7C student to submit their artwork, at any degree of completion, to the show. Both art majors and non-art majors from the 5Cs and Claremont Graduate University were welcome to participate.
The premise of incompletion allowed for an interesting exhibit and a less stressful submission process for its artists, said exhibit-organizer and 5C Artists’ Coalition founder Gabrielle Ohlson PO ’21.
“[I thought] a ‘works in progress’ exhibition would not only be a fun twist on the typical format of art shows, but also a perfect way to host an exhibition without pressuring student artists to create work under narrow time constraints,” Ohlson said.
Above all, the exhibit hopes to champion the value of accessibility and inclusivity. Not creating barriers for entry is key to fostering a healthy student art environment, Ohlson said.
“I view [stringent guidelines] as … a violation of the Artists’ Coalition’s most important tenant, which is that of inclusivity,” Ohlson said. “To our organization, inclusivity … means never denying student artists the opportunity to participate in what we do, making sure they have access to resources [and our] acceptance of art in any form.”
Jordi Pedroza PO ’20, an artist featured in the exhibit, submitted unfinished screen prints.
“I got this ballerina drawing, scanned it and manipulated it to give it the look I wanted, but these are only tests: tests of color, paper quality and form,” he said. “I just wanted to see how it all was coming together. Now it’s here.”
Artistic literacy is not required to attend the show or appreciate the pieces, Ohlson said. In addition to making submissions easier for students, the theme of the exhibit also breaks down the mystery of art for guests, allowing them to see the rough and unpolished artistic process.
“A ‘works in progress’ exhibition makes art more accessible to not only artists, but to viewers as well,” Ohlson said. “The process of creating art can be quite a secretive practice that is often confined to the sphere of artists, so blatantly exposing the art process grants the viewers access to this historically exclusive world.”
“Works in Progress” is viewable now in the Chan Gallery of Pomona College’s Studio Art Hall until Oct. 16. Viewing hours are on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.