September 24, 1997

Got that same-cubicle-different-day kinda feeling? Fighting an urge to stand on your desk and say "I am not a number! I am a free person..."? To feed that creative side, do what I did: spend a lunch hour at the Crealde School of Art's 17th Annual Juried Student Exhibition, at Crealde's Alice and William Jenkins Gallery in Winter Park. The show features photography, painting, and sculpture, but the intimate one-room setting makes it easy to fit a viewing into an hour without feeling as if you've rushed your visit. There are 85 pieces on display, but since some artists displayed series or two or three related pieces, the actual number of artists is much smaller.

School-sponsored shows are often a "mixed blessing" - they offer a wide variety of pieces to choose from, but the wide range of styles and media doesn't carry the impact of a single artist's work or a themed exhibition. Fortunately, although a small number of this show's pieces had a "done first as an art assignment" look, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of most of the work. For example, most of the photographs showed a real exactness in detail and technical skill in their production - not a speck of dust or heavy film grain to be found, even on the larger pieces.

As a juried show, first, second and third place awards were given in each of the disciplines - painting, sculpture and photography. In addition to just enjoying the work, this gives you a chance to play the critic and join in the time-honored artistic tradition of second guessing the judges. (For my impressions, and to add your own, check out the chatter below.) You'll also find a piece or two that hasn't been honored that answers your own personal tastes - in my case, the richness of Lisa Kedro's photograph, "Sit Down," had me wishing I had a room in my apartment with red accents and the occasional light from a sunset, just so I could put the photo there.

The Jenkins Gallery and the Crealde School are on St. Andrews, off Aloma, nestled back behind a big Publix shopping plaza. The show runs through October 3rd, so you have two weeks to plan your lunch-hour excursion. It doesn't have the spectacle of "Imperial Tombs of China," but if you're starting to see computer screens in your sleep, and you need a quick art fix, the Crealde Juried Student Exhibition won't disappoint you.

Gary Ritzenthaler While I wait for my "Most College Credits without any Financially Useful Knowledge" record to be recognized by the Guiness Book people, you can find me working on web sites and other new media whatnot at PUSH, Orlando's coolest ad agency. I also manage a small company to launder money from a few ill-advised web projects of my own creation. During my spare time I often can be found consorting with artists, writers, computer geeks, and other shady characters. I've been told that I don't have a very firm grasp on reality; I'm still deciding whether this is an insult or a compliment. Other Articles I've Written