Annual UM student and faculty exhibition at the Lowe gets attendees thinking

Valeria Rocchiccioli sitting in her sculpture "Bug in the Chlorophyll Shower". Juror's Best in Show "Bug in Chlorophyll Shower". ELIZABETH POTI//HURRICANE STAFF

Valeria Rocchiccioli sitting in her sculpture "Bug in the Chlorophyll Shower".  Juror's Best in Show "Bug in Chlorophyll Shower".  ELIZABETH POTI//HURRICANE STAFF

Valeria Rocchiccioli sitting in her sculpture "Bug in the Chlorophyll Shower". Juror's Best in Show "Bug in Chlorophyll Shower". ELIZABETH POTI//HURRICANE STAFF

For photographer Carsten Meier and many student artists, this past Friday was an excellent evening at the Lowe Museum’s student art exhibit and preview.

Meier, a UM assistant professor and experienced photographer, delivered a thought-provoking lecture to debut his exhibit “Naturell” to the Lowe and to the many art lovers in attendance. An awards ceremony honoring the outstanding artists on exhibit followed. Attendees were also allowed a walk-through of the exposition.

“Spooky things happen in nature,” Meier said when asked why his photography took a turn for the narrative. His work, combining collage, assemblage and nature, seeks to create his own reality through digital editing.

“Meier’s work focuses on the individual’s perception of nature and how the act of seeing a photograph establishes a transitory thread between the viewer and the environment depicted,” said Elizabeth Amore, the media contact at the Lowe Museum.

“We are moving on as photographers into storytellers,” Meier said. He said that his work was only an attempt to make nature more beautiful.

Later, awards were presented to students who demonstrated exemplary performance in different areas of their art study. The viewers were then allowed to roam freely through the exhibit and chat with the artists about their work.

“It was just a fun experiment that turned out to be really cool,” said Hamad Almousa, a student whose piece “Look Into My World” merited the Dr. Marion F. Jefferson Award. “It allowed me to use mirrors in ways we don’t usually use them.”

If You Go

What: UM Student/Carsten Meier exhibit

When: April 18 – June 14, 2009

Where: Lowe Art Museum

and

What: Master of Fine Arts Exhibition

When: May 14 – June 14, 2009

Where: Lowe Art Museum

For more information, visit the Lowe online at www.lowemuseum.org for a full calendar of upcoming events.