The Mid-Program Portfolio Review was a refreshing experience that allowed me to not only enjoy art, but also the artists.

As a fellow Student Hornet, I couldn’t help but appreciate and adore the amount of work and effort put into each piece. More importantly, I appreciated the unique position I was in as an attendee to be able to interact with the artists.

Throughout the reception, there seemed to be a competitive or showcasing atmosphere that was certainly attributed to art professors reviewing student’s work. With that being said, I was able to enjoy the reception all the more.

One of my favorite pieces was “Acceptance” by Alice Hampton. The intricacies and detail in color and engravings caused me to notice something different each time I came back around to look at it.

When I asked Hampton about the process in making the piece she revealed that it took over seven prints and color engravings to get the final product that was on display.

By this process alone, it was clear why I noticed new things each time I placed a new set of eyes on it.

Initially, I noticed the blue, which made me feel cool and on second glance, red was apparent, which made me feel warm. After a third look, the wrapping of the bright red intestines became apparent to my eyes.

Callie Vessar’s “Wadulesi,” which is bumblebee in Cherokee according to Vessar, seemed simple on the surface, but then I noticed the faded yellow in the middle of the bee’s body, and the hairy details on the bee itself.

One issue that I and many other people seemed to have was that the Gilson Memorial Room, which is where the art was located, was extremely and uncomfortably warm.

There were refreshments available to cool down with, but it was difficult to completely enjoy the art because of my body temperature.

But this is a minor complaint that I’m sure is either purposeful for the preservation of the art or simply uncontrollable by management.

Either way, I felt that the Mid-Program review was a success that many people actually attended.

The art was detailed, intricate, different, challenging, thought-provoking and colorful, which is exactly all of the attributes art should have.