The 2023 undergraduate art exhibition “Genesis” is set to close tomorrow.

“Genesis” is meant to celebrate student achievements in art from the 2022-2023 school year and was organized by students from the art department’s gallery management course. 

Gallery management student Jackson Gifford said the class helped plan important pieces of the exhibition. 

“Our class picked out the name for the exhibition, aided in the press release and helped in determining how works would be displayed,” Gifford said. 

Graduating senior Ava Guerrero said the exhibition is a diverse display of student work. 

“The exhibition included both undergraduate and graduating senior students of the art department. The department is divided into 13 disciplines, and the Art Department Gallery highlights works from all disciplines,” Guerrero said. “The ADG holds roughly 60 artworks on average, and for ‘Genesis’ we showcased around 100 pieces by the students.”

"Genesis" Gallery

Student Lilly Peters said the theme of “Genesis” is meant to embrace the artists’ futures. 

“‘Genesis’ connects the pieces with their futuristic flair. With the name ‘Genesis’ we are both acknowledging the future of our artists featured—with them being the formation and origin of something new—as well as call back to what has formed before,” Peters said. 

Guerrero said “Genesis” also represents new beginnings. 

“‘Genesis’ is a theme we chose to represent a beginning or breath of life into the art community. An emergence of artists into the community, a breath of life into the exhibition space and student artists as we bounce back from the pandemic, and an homage to the beginnings of the space and prior works exhibited,” Guerrero said. 

Peters said the class planned the exhibition through the lens of the audience.

“The entire time we kept in mind how someone would feel walking through the exhibition, and we were very keen on understanding how the eye would follow and guide someone's experience with the exhibition the entire way through,” Peters said. 

Gifford said the students worked hard to make the gallery perfect. 

“In terms of setting up the exhibition, all of the pieces are hung and lit meticulously, and the layout of the exhibition is thoroughly considered and experimented with before being finalized,” Gifford said. “The goal is to present the works with the standards held by museum exhibitions, displaying them to the public in the best way possible.”

Guerrero said she feels galleries like ‘Genesis’ are truly a gift. 

“In art, there is something for everyone to find. Check out local programs, take an art course or stop by one of the area's many amazing galleries (and) museums. Not only is it important to support the arts, but also to get involved by creating artwork,” Guerrero said. 

Peters said she is proud of how the gallery turned out.

“I hope everyone has a great time at the exhibition,” she said. “A lot of care and passion went into it, and I truly believe that it shows through.”

“Genesis” will be on display tomorrow at the Art Department Gallery from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Madeline Beck is The South End's arts & entertainment editor. She can be reached at artsandentertainmenttse@gmail.com.

Cover photo by Ciaran Martin, multimedia editor for The South End. He can be reached at multimediaeditortse@gmail.com.