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Thursday, March 28, 2024
The Observer

Riley and Reckers feature student art

It's not often you can walk into an exhibit and are able to say you know the artist. The current displays of Notre Dame undergraduate and graduate prints and photographs in Riley hall and Reckers may let you do exactly that. The exhibits are a chance to see some of the best work from students who spend the majority of their time inside Riley Hall working hard as art and design majors. RileyTime is running out to catch the work of student photographers in Riley Hall. The Annual Undergraduate Photo Major Exhibition, set up in the gallery in the front hallway on the western side of the building, will be taken down this week. The exhibition is one of two displays of student work presented annually in the Riley gallery, which is usually reserved for displays by professional artists. At the end of the semester the gallery is also used to display the work of students graduating after earning their bachelor's degree. The Riley exhibit is one of the first chances many students have to display their work in a gallery setting, and it gives them a chance to learn how to frame and hang their work professionally. Graduate student Sheila Talbitzer Reynolds, who was in charge of organizing this year's exhibit and choosing the prints, was impressed by the quality and variety of the submissions. "The show is incredible this time," she said. The exhibit represents the work of 14 photo majors, each of whom submitted up to three different prints for Reynolds to choose. This year the department will also present juror's awards for two photos chosen by professors and graduate students from the department. The awards will be presented at the gallery reception, which will take place on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. on the second floor of Riley. ReckersMost students probably remember picking up "The Juggler" in the dining halls; but until this semester, few have had a chance to see any of the actual pieces of art featured in "The Juggler." The magazine, which comes out once a semester, is intended to give students a chance to see some of the best new art being created by graduate and undergraduate students. The magazine puts out a call for submissions once a semester and the editors choose particularly impressive pieces for publication. The new exhibit in Reckers will feature the original fine art prints and photographs featured in this semester's issue of "The Juggler," which is scheduled to come out next week. "The exhibit is both a way to promote the magazine itself and to give the artists themselves a venue for showing their work outside it," Juggler editor Mary Predergast said. "While the magazine is dedicated to making the campus aware of the art that's being made here, it's obviously much better to see the work in person." Exhibition organizer and The Observer's associate photo editor Chuy Benitez is currently completing the exhibit and plans to be finished by Friday. Students can already see most of the prints on display in Reckers. The display does not have a scheduled ending date, but Benitez hopes Reckers will become a permanent gallery for art featured in "The Juggler," with a new display every semester in conjunction with the magazine. Both the Reckers and Riley exhibits are free, conveniently located and open to all. So the next time you walk by, stop in a take a look around for work created by your own friends and classmates.