“Injustice” by Erin French
Shenandoah University student artwork is on display at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) in Winchester, Virginia, in conjunction with an exhibition that celebrates recycling in a uniquely artistic way.
“Third Time Around: Shenandoah University Students Twirl the Hubcap,” an “Art in the Halls” display, showcases 28 works of art made out of repurposed hubcaps. The art was created by university students who were enrolled in the fall 2014 Art Appreciation course taught by Associate Professor of Art Geraldine Kiefer, Ph.D.
The work of 26 eighth-grade art students from Powhatan School in Boyce, Virginia, is also included in the new “Art in the Halls” display.
The students’ work greets visitors well before they visit “Second Time Around: Hubcap Art,” a collection of environmentally-inspired contemporary art created by 287 artists from across the globe who responded to a challenge to transform discarded hubcaps into works of art.
“Dream Catching in the Galaxy” by Haley Koeninger
Shenandoah University utilizes the MSV as an educational resource, and faculty members have been taking art students to the museum since its grand opening in 2005.
“My classes frequently visit the MSV, and they have used both the building and the collections as educational resources,” said Dr. Kiefer. “Their assignments have included essays, presentations, and now an actual art project. I believe ‘The Second Time Around: Hubcap Art’ gives an important message about the environment. Based on its terrific visual attractions, it can stimulate students to think about the world in different ways, to make art, and to make a difference.”
The owner of G & G Auto Recycling in Winchester, Virginia, generously donated 60 hubcaps to Shenandoah University for the students’ “Third Time Around” project.
“The Reflection of My Being” by Jenn Youngelman
Some of the works by university students, such as “Cruel Bars” by senior psychology major Kaitlyn Russell, underscore the environmental theme of the exhibit. Russell’s hanging sculpture is made of repurposed items and features a bird in a cage that is made with plastic six-pack rings and a paper grocery bag.
Other works are representative of the artist themselves, such as senior dance major Jenn Youngelman’s mixed-media piece, “The Reflection of my Being,” which includes a hubcap wrapped in dance tights with a mirror and a worn pair of ballet slippers attached.
The cultural diversity seen on the Shenandoah University campus is also reflected in the “Art in the Halls” display. “Saudi Arabia Flag,” by senior mass communications major Khalid Alsomaili, is a painted hubcap inspired by the green and white flag of Saudi Arabia, and for the “Time is Gold” work, senior business major Mohamed Ali Baras painted Arabic symbols and text on his canvas-covered hubcap and transformed the object into a clock.
An additional work in the display was created by Kiefer. Titled “Ancient Mixologies,” Kiefer’s sculptural work incorporates photography, hubcaps, and vintage beaters.
For “Second Time Around,” Hubcap art gallery owner and environmentalist Ken Marquis commissioned artists all over the world to make hubcap art. After sending artists the raw material, he waited six years to accept their finished pieces. According to his website, Marquis intends to send these artworks across the country. While searching for new exhibition themes, the MSV became the first venue for the nonprofit landfill art project.
Professor of Environmental Studies and Biology Woodward Bousquet, Ph.D., who also serves as director of the Blue Ridge Institute for Environmental Studies, collaborated with the MSV during the development of “Second Time Around” and advised the museum on the exhibition’s environmental messages.
Associate Professor of Art Geraldine Kiefer, Ph.D. (left) and Vice President for Academic Affairs Adrienne Bloss, Ph.D. (right), view Kiefer’s piece, titled “Ancient Mixologies.”
While Shenandoah perceives the museum as a resource, the MSV views the university through a similar lens. “We offer internships to college students who are interested in working in history or arts-related fields,” said Museum of the Shenandoah Valley Exhibit Director Cory Garman. “We also offer a number of community programs that involve Shenandoah University’s dance, theater and musical performance students, as well as faculty. We are very fortunate to have Shenandoah University in our community.”
“Art in the Halls” was established in 2011 to give exposure to working artists from the Shenandoah Valley. The artists’ works are shown for three months at no cost to the artists or the public. The collaborative shows with Shenandoah University and Powhatan School are the first to feature works by student artists. The Shenandoah University students’ hubcaps will be shown at the MSV in Lewis Hall through Sunday, April 19.
The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley is located at 901 Amherst Street in Winchester, Virginia. The MSV complex—which includes galleries, the Glen Burnie House, and six acres of gardens—is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Additional information is available at www.theMSV.org or by calling 540/662-1473, ext. 235.
Contributed by Mary Katherine Francisco ’16
