The Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts is hosting Metamorphosis: the 14th Senior Showcase Art Exhibition and Mark Lindsay Duncan Legacy Endowment for the Arts Reception.
The two events have been combined this year; and will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on March 27 inside the Adolfo and Marisela Cotilla Gallery in the Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center.
Mark Duncan, a professor at NSU until his death in 2021, was the founding professor of the performing and visual arts programs. The endowment was created to continue his legacy by raising money to fund the arts programs that he helped found.
Mario D’Agostino, assistant professor in DCMA and interim program director for Art + Design, is happy to support both events. He had previously worked with Duncan and emphasized the importance of the endowment to the NSU community.
“I came to NSU in 2018, and Mark was already here. My understanding after the fact was that the reason we have an arts program here is because of Mark. So, this event is something that is so important to the department to continue to honor the memory of somebody who started something that we are all a part of,” D’Agostino said.
A donor and alumni reception to support the endowment has been held annually in conjunction with another performing and visual arts event. This year it is being held alongside the Senior Art Exhibition.
“We really wanted to celebrate the accomplishments of the seniors and the fact that they are almost done with the program, so we thought it would be a really nice gesture to have the senior showcase run in conjunction with the legacy event,” D’Agostino said.
The primary purpose of the Senior Showcase is for students to present their work to the South Florida community. This allows them to market themselves and form connections as they leave NSU and branch out into the workforce.
Each winter semester the Art + Design program offers the course Senior Project in which senior art students curate a final exhibition of their work. This year, the course is taught by Kolos Schumy, assistant professor in the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts.
“It’s a really big opportunity to put myself out there and to prove to myself that I am a real artist and show how far I have come,” said Raul Perez, senior Art + Design major who is submitting art for the exhibition.
This is the first time the Art + Design program has curated an exhibition in the Cotilla Gallery.
“The library really promotes that space, so there’s an added layer of significance to this year’s exhibition because of the location. I think it’s going to create more of an interaction with the student’s work this year, for sure,” D’Agostino said.
This exhibition provides students with an opportunity to learn how to present themselves as artists, while working alongside other artists. The larger space also allows students to present more of their artwork, Perez said.
“You learn what it takes to set up a gallery and fill your space because you do the installation yourself, we don’t have a team that does it for us. So, you also have to be conscious of how to monetize yourself as an artist as well,” Perez said.
This exhibition will be open from March 27 to May 1. Participating students will leave behind business cards as well as resumes so anyone interested in their work can reach out. The event is free and all students are welcome to view the exhibition before the end of the semester
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