ARTS FACULTY FACILITATE ART

The MHCC Visual Arts Gallery’s newest display, the annual Faculty Arts Exhibit, helps visitors match artwork with a name/face they might know and builds a feeling of connection on campus. Even with a delayed opening on March 2 due to inclement weather, the show is very well put together, with many pieces on display including paintings, sculptures, and jewelry made by Mt. Hood faculty coming from all departments, not just Visual Arts.

Images by Isabela Durighello

The Faculty show is such an important event because it lets instructors/staff express their artistic side by showcasing their impressive work. Many students may feel disconnected from faculty members and the exhibit helps bridge that gap. And not everything displayed is just there just to look at – many items are up for sale, as well.

Most notable is the handmade jewelry, including earrings, bracelets, and rings made from many different materials and in many different styles. Another noteworthy piece of art for sale is a humorous, hand-written IRS tax Form 1040; this is perfect for anyone who wants to relive the good old days of filing tax returns by hand.

While many artists are showcased at this exhibit, two pieces stand out as especially diverse and meaningful to the artists. One is a beautiful painting of a side view of the old Milwaukee Hospital from the perspective of Donna Ryan, a Student Life department employee. The second consists of photographs of the Huntsman oil facility in West Texas, taken in December 2021.

Art teacher Nathan Orosco, who typically works in scupture, spoke about the true meaning behind the pictures and how they represent the community in an around the oil processing plants.

He said he wants “the factories to look very powerful in their visual presence” and hoped to make the images “look dramatic… almost a beautiful evil.” He noted how this particular plant was being investigated for polluting his hometown when he took these pictures, and he hopes that “the form and the beauty of the photograph will draw you into paying attention to it.”

Orosco’s expression of his approach represents the overall atmosphere of the Gallery and how each art piece has a special meaning and purpose that the artists are trying to convey.

The overall mission of the Visual Arts Gallery is to create a welcoming center for artists of all genres to raise student, staff and public consciousness about the value of art in our community. Mt. Hood’s showcase is particularly welcome in East Multnomah County, where galleries are more scarce.

The Visual Arts Gallery is open to all, free of charge, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Next up, following the Faculty Arts Exhibit, will be the (local) High School Arts Exhibition expected to open on April 13.