Victor BarbosaStaff Writer
For the past week and for the next week ahead, the Springfield College William Blizard Art Gallery is presenting “To Be, To See, To Know, To Grow.” This is the annual fall semester art exhibition, and this year it takes place from Nov. 28 through Dec. 14. This year’s exhibit features two graduate students’ artwork, both of whom are in the Art Therapy and Counseling program at Springfield College. Yvonne Kintgios and Alycia Parkinson both have sections of the gallery dedicated to their impressive artwork.
Ron Maggio is an associate professor of Art and also the director of the art gallery. He has been very impressed with Parkinson’s art and passion, especially considering her lack of experience with painting.
“She [Parkinson] had never taken a painting class before, and this was in the grad studio class for graduate Art Therapy students,” said Maggio. “The work has to be thematic. It has to be series oriented; it has to be all about the same thing content-wise. She’s a runner, so I said, ‘You want to do something that you’re passionate about.’”
With that, Parkinson decided to combine her two passions: art and running. She focused her pieces around close-ups of things to do with running. It would have been nearly impossible to paint a picture of someone actually running, so she chose items that have to do with the sport. She did one of a water bottle, watch, shoes, and perhaps Maggio’s favorite one was the work of a place that she runs in Vermont.
For Kintgios, her artwork included using a lot of bright colors, and using symbolic imagery.
“Yvonne’s [pieces] are really almost survey-like, in that these are earlier works, and then as you move through the show, they start to be works that were transitions when she started graduate school here,” said Maggio. “Some of her pieces, they’re called mandalas. She’s done some very interesting things like sewing on the canvases, really well-conceived work.”
Every year in December, the gallery puts together an exhibition for graduate students and undergraduates who are graduating early. These shows typically run from the end of November into early December. Then, in the spring semester during April and May, the gallery does single shows for undergrads and graduate students again.
“We do this every year, because this highlights the work that they’ve been doing over the course of four years, or in the case of the grad students, sometimes two or three years,” said Maggio.
Formerly located in Babson Library, the William Blizard Art Gallery has been in Blake Hall since 1992. The gallery was named after William Blizard, who according to Maggio, “brought art to Springfield College” in 1962.
“Bill was my mentor. He was chair of the Art department for 36 years, and then I was chair of the Art department from 1995 until just this past June. Now I have gone back to my old job as gallery director. I used to do this years ago,” said Maggio.
Next year, Maggio plans to have a faculty show, which will mix it up a little bit. So, when you’re not too busy, stop on by to check out some amazing art work.
The gallery is located in Blake Hall in the Visual Arts Center, located on the second floor. For further information, please call Ron Maggio at (413) 748-3753.