Through hardships and strife the Visual Arts Gallery kicked off Homecoming Week for the fourth year in the row and this year they helped celebrate the 21st anniversary of the New Orleans chapter of the National Conference of Artist (NCA).
“Its always difficult because it costs money and I operate without a budget so every year we’re pulling a rabbit out the hat and this time we were fortunate that SGA stepped up and supported us financially,” Robert Cox, art professor and art gallery director, said.
However the lack of funding couldn’t stop the drive of the hungry artists who were featured in this year’s exhibition.
This year’s exhibition consisted of artists in primarily from the New Orleans area who are members of the NCA and have some sort of ties to the Southern University System.
All but, two artists were either students or had spouses that attended Southern University at New Orleans.
Charlie T. Johnson, NOLA chapter president, opened up the nights festivities with brief history of the organization.
“The National Conference of Artists was started in 1959 but there were artists who met before then in Atlanta every year there was a national arts competition there and Margaret Burroughs with some others decided that they needed to bring these people together because they couldn’t get into these larger galleries around the country,” Johnson said. “Using churches and HBCU’s they were able to get their work to travel but Marg Burrough had the vision to get these individuals together.”
Burroughs works with linoleum cuts were displayed alongside other members of the NCA. Each artist in attendance got a chance to give a brief description of his or her artwork displayed.
The selection that garnered the most attention was the “Injustice Series” by Shelia Phipps.
Each piece in the series was a portrait of young men who were wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit, many of whom are still incarcerated. One of the portraits was of Phipps own son who has served 12 years in prison and still serving time in the penitentiary.
“We are still currently fighting to get him out but he was accused of something many people know he did not commit,” said a sorrowful Phipps. “In February it will be 13 years and we are not only working on his case but the others that are up here as well.”
Phipps eagerly explained her reasoning behind painting these very bold and strong portraits in order to show the world the faces of injustice in the black community. Earl Truvia, who was the only one painted in black and white, is the only man currently exonerated for his crimes after serving 27 and half years in 2004 through DNA.
“Ironically he [Truvia] met his ‘accomplice’ in the murder in prison and before then they never met one another,” said an astonished Phipps. “It was just amazing that two men who didn’t know each other were convicted for a crime that supposedly committed together.”
Randall Henry, art professor expressed his feelings on the need of art across the board and explained its importance to students in every field.
“People need the arts to become creative, and we want to make sure that the students receive that message so that they may be able to apply that to their respective fields,” said Henry.
The Visual Arts Gallery will be open from 10am-4pm until November 15th and all students are encouraged to stop by and view the powerful pieces by the talented artists from the NCA.
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SU celebrates with artists
October 17, 2012
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