Collaborations March 20, 2011

The Collaborations exhibition is comprised of three series of five paintings. Two of the series are based on a theme. The first theme, "Opulence," was suggested by Dustin Springer and agreed to by consensus. The second theme, "Winter," was provided by Miles Bair the faculty participant. The third is an integrated series with no common theme. Each student was given a painting to finish that contained an image or images painted by Miles. In turn, the four students gave Miles a painting to finish that contained one image painted by each student. This creative process is an adaptation of an early twentieth century surrealist technique. Marlena Szewczek and Dustin Springer are sophomores, Renee Schade is a junior, Kate Nishimura is a senior. All were enrolled in Miles' advanced painting courses during the 2010 Fall semester. The Collaborations painting exhibition celebrates the collaborative projects and artistic interactions that take place in the art studios at Illinois Wesleyan University. For many years, Professor Connie Estep has been constructing a thematic suite with each of her beginning her printmaking classes. Students in Professor Sherilyn McElroy's classes frequently work in teams to develop comprehensive design solutions. Art faculty and students all strive on a daily basis to be a collaborative learning community.