By Audrey Werth/tr news editor

A new gallery space in the TR Library has opened to showcase the work of students, faculty and staff. 

Together with library director Suzanne Beckett, Student Government Association president Antonio Mercado recruited artists and put together what he called guerilla advertising to get the word out.

When Beckett began working as the library director in September, she noticed a lot of wall space that could be utilized to share artwork.

“I put a shout out to my staff about people that might be interested in curating a show, and Tony jumped up and seized the opportunity,” she said.

Mercado said he thought it was a shame TCC had so much artwork that was not prominently displayed and talented artists whose work was not being shared.

“Our gallery downstairs was relocated to the fourth floor, so it’s in a space now that’s not so accessible, not viewable to the students on a regular basis,” he said.

Mercado was concerned the presence of art on campus had diminished.

Student development associate Eddie Brassart agreed that art is a valuable addition to the campus.

“I would like to see more art on campus always just because that’s my background,” he said. “Space is at such a premium here, it’s kind of sad they had to take away those art rooms.”

In advance of the opening reception, Mercado placed stickers on soda bottles in the cafeteria and bookstore asking, “Where is the art?” and encouraging students to engage with visual art by coming to the gallery opening.

“I think it’s really cool what he’s doing,” said Sarah Arditti, TR art professor, whose work can be seen in the new gallery. “It’s kind of a different way of getting art out there.”

Arditti likes to work with found objects and dried flowers. She creates watercolors and drawings that include these objects.

Her work on display in the library is part of a larger project focusing on memories and dreams.

“I think it’s really interesting the way our minds work,” she said.

Arditti explores her personal relationship to dreams and memories with the hope that by expressing herself through art, her pieces will become universal and relatable.

Brassart hopes his work will connect with people in a lighthearted way. He wants to see them smiling and laughing because of his paintings.

“With art sometimes, I feel like it is taken so extremely, painfully seriously that people don’t know how to enjoy it,” he said. “So with mine, I love it when people come by, and you can see it on their face that they’re enjoying that painting or sculpture.”

He wants to create a sense of wonder to allow viewers to question the work and create their own narrative.

“I don’t like to give a lot of information as to why or how, or answer any of those questions,” he said.

TR student Heather Shannon creates vibrant manipulated photographs inspired by moments in her life.

“My art is kind of a psychedelic look,’” she said. “It’s called fractal art.”

One of her photographs, “Courthouse Metropolis,” started as a picture of the Tarrant County courthouse. She captured this because, as she stopped for coffee, she noticed that the sunlight hitting the courthouse made it appear luminescent.

Mercado has named this gallery space The Dream Channel and the first show, A Brief Trip into Sarcasm, will remain on display in the library until May 15.