TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Doctors recommend taking the stairs if you can, and so do TXST art students. A new gallery has opened at the Texas State University art building, and it’s in a place you might miss if you take the elevator. Located in the main stairwell is a hidden gem where students and faculty can display their artwork. Launched last semester, the Stairwell Gallery takes a once empty corridor and activates it as a space to display student work.
This month’s artist is Briar Leonard, a TXST senior pursuing a BFA in Studio Art with a concentration in sculpture.
“I have always wanted to see my body of work in its own space, and when I received the Herman Casey Memorial fund in sculpture, I knew it was time to put it in motion,” Leonard said. “I worked with Tamara Johnson, the Sculpture Area Head at Texas State University, to make my exhibition, ‘Woven Fractures’ happen. With her help, I was given the opportunity to install my work in the Second Floor Stairwell gallery, a space coordinated by Michael Villarreal.”
Students walking to class found themselves in an art reception this past Wednesday when taking the stairs.
“Tamara Johnson brought her Intermediate Sculpture class, which gave me the opportunity to speak to them about the application process for the Herman Casey Memorial Fund in Sculpture, submitting work to open calls and creating a cohesive body of work,” Leonard said. “I truly felt a sense of community, love and learning in the gallery space, which is what I hoped for.”
Students moved around the stairwell, taking in Leonard’s work which contrasting sculptured steel shapes with delicate lace woven together.
“My art practice centers on exploring the way trauma resides in the brain and the healing process that follows,” Leonard said. “I express this through merging cold formed steel with soft materials, wax and bones. Each piece in this body of work focuses on a traumatic event that I have personally endured, and my goal for each sculpture is to utilize the creation process as a way to heal through that specific facet of my trauma.”
TXST has been known for its robust galleries, displaying works from notable artists and students alike. The Second Floor Stairwell Gallery is the newest addition, which focuses on showcasing up and coming student work. Although the gallery is in a stairwell, there is access through the second floor for anyone with mobility issues. One can visit Leonard’s show at the Joann Cole Mitte Building at 807 North Comanche Street during school hours. Keep up to date on the show and her art practice on her instagram @briar. maee and check out all the new shows happening at Texas State University on their gallery instagram page @txstgalleries.
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