Cowboys vs. Aliens

“QPOC going back to the roots of drag to present something that needs to be said is very much at the root of why we are involved in this. With all the performers coming together to demonstrate this need to say something about trans lives, about queer people of color, et cetera, it’s very critical that we note all these elements because, at the end of the day, who’s going to say it for us?”

By Cadence Chen chencade@grinnell.edu

The Bachelor of Arts Exhibition (BAX), showcasing the artwork of third- and fourth-year students, is currently on display at the Grinnell College Museum of Art through May 22. Studio art Student Educational Policy Committee (SEPC) members Jillian Bhuyan `24, Georgia Carbone `24, Philomena Frasca `25, Stella Lowery `24 and Karis McCaskill `24 worked with Milton Severe, director of exhibition design at the museum, to organize this extensive exhibit of student work.

To be featured in the showcase, third- and fourth-year students who have taken or are currently taking classes in the studio art department were encouraged to submit their art, consisting of anything from paintings to sculptures to films. The SEPC members then evaluated their work and decided what would be included in the exhibition.

According to Carbone, the pool of applicants is limited to those who have taken a class in the department in order to highlight work being done in the College’s studio art classes.

For the 2023 exhibition, applicants were invited to submit up to five works, compared to the maximum two works allowed last year. Lowery said that each artist showcased at least three pieces on average in this show. This year, there are “more pieces by fewer students,” she added. Everyone who submitted is featured in the exhibition.

Every year, jurors chosen by the SEPC members present awards to the featured artists. This year’s jurors are Jonathan deLima, a Des Moines-based art collection manager for the Krause Group, and Jill Wells, an Iowa-based artist and accessibility advocate. DeLima was a juror in 2022 and suggested co-juroring with Wells this year. The only awards not chosen by the jurors are the third- and fourth-year prizes, which are awarded by the department to the third and fourth years with an outstanding portfolio of 8 to 10 pieces.

The 25 following individuals’ works are on display: Karis McCaskill, Zoey Nahmmacher-Baum `24, Jenara Kim-Prieto `24, Chase Holdener `23, Emma Hastie `23, Sarah Oide `23, Aubrie Torhorst `23, Sunny North `23, Clare Newman `23 , Philomena Frasca, Stella Lowery, Ivan Kwei `24, Celia Meagher `24, Andrew Thompson `23, Kelly Banfield `24, Noel Fernandez-Reyes `23, Harper Crosson `23, Georgia Carbone, Luca Blankenship `23, Maya Gardner `23, Lisa Shen `24, Mordecai Gonzalez- Rodriguez `23, Sophia Youngdahl `24 , Josephine Blumenthal `23 and Jillian Bhuyan.

The opening reception and awards ceremony was held on April 21 from 4-5:30 p.m. The exhibition will be open for viewing in the museum in Bucksbaum Center for the Arts until May 22. Those featured in the exhibition will present their artwork in three Twenty Minutes @11 talks in the museum on May 2, 3 and 5.