Visitors explore the work of Book, Paper and Print Students at C33 Gallery.

In my last post, I mentioned that I had been installing a show in Columbia’s very own C33 Gallery; last Tuesday, the Book, Paper and Print department (and some friends from the Media department as well!) came together for our show’s opening!

Every semester, C33 Gallery calls for Columbia students to propose their own gallery shows. Students can apply either individually or in groups, and those who are accepted receive a small stipend and the entirety of the gallery in which to install their project. This semester, our department’s student organization, Pulp, Ink & Thread (PIT), applied for a group show in order to showcase the work that we’ve been doing over the past few months. We were accepted for the gallery’s first time slot of the season—which meant that we had a very limited time in which to fill the gallery!

Luckily, many of our artistic practices are highly experiment- and process-based. That means a high volume of work gets churned out in the pursuit of perfection (or imperfection). We decided to display proof sheets, test prints, and first iterations of projects alongside finished work—a choice which served to form a more complete picture of the type of work we do as interdisciplinary artists.

Paper body parts by Kelly Schmidt, on display in front of vibrant cyanotypes by Mary Clare Butler.

The final exhibition includes molded paper bulbs and bodies, pulp-painted tapestry pieces, artist books, digital illustration, hand-lettered typography and a wall of prints that represents work by nearly every participant in the show.

As I prepare for graduation, I get closer and closer to the point in my career at which I’d like to start having solo shows. One of my biggest practical problems is that my work is so small; I make highly-detailed books and book-sized objects, and it’s difficult to imagine them filling a gallery. This semester, that work has begun to get bigger and more expansive, and it’s much easier to see myself with a show of my own soon.

That said, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of participating in shows with friends and colleagues whom I respect. No woman is an island, and being part of the Columbia community has positively affected the way I make and exhibit my art to an unimaginable degree. It will be exciting to put that first solo show line on my résumé—but I’m glad there will be so many lines of shows like this beneath it.

Visitors examine the wall of prints.