By Taylor Jensen/nw news editor
Photos by David Reid/The Collegian
Loose Knit by artists Chris Leonard, Kirk Mangus, Billy Ritter and Jeremy Schmidt includes ceramics, paintings and drawings on display in the Lakeview Gallery (WFAB 1135A).
“I just think [the exhibit] shows an expressive spirit,” NW art associate professor Frederick Spaulding said. “It’s fantastic.”
NW art associate professor Winter Rusiloski said the exhibit is a great lesson for art students.
“There are two- and three-dimensional pieces with line work and color,” she said. “Students will be able to see that drawing and painting can take place on more than just the canvas.”
Spaulding said Leonard’s use of cats helps make the exhibit relatable for viewers.
“His art and his life are sort of integrated together, and this comes out in his work,” he said. “A lot of times, I think people think there has to be subject matter. It’s interesting to see how [they] took everyday life and expressed it.”
Leonard said the artists were pulled together to make the exhibit happen, including his art hero, Mangus.
“Having a chance to show with them is fantastic and wonderful,” he said. “They feel what I do.”
There is a serious, yet silly aspect to the exhibit, Leonard said.
“We were all open to guided exploration,” he said. “But there had to be a magic life to the pieces we made, or things didn’t get shown.”
Leonard said choices for artistic endeavors aren’t always clear, but he chose cats for their elusive nine lives and ability to make a comeback.
“I wouldn’t say I am a cat lover, but I view them as a symbol of domestic tranquility,” he said. “If cats stumble, they land on their feet. Life is difficult if you can’t land on your feet.”
Loose Knit ends Dec. 8, and Lakeview Gallery hours are 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.
For more information, contact Spaulding at 817-515-7557 or frederick.spaulding@tccd.edu.
