UCF Art Gallery 2021-2022 Exhibition Review

The UCF Art Gallery serves as a catalyst for visual arts experiences and education, culture and community engagement by providing a framework for intellectual and creative inquiry. In the 2021-2022 academic year, the gallery hosted exhibitions and programming both in person and online that examined cultural and social contexts while supporting contemporary art practices.

In Fall 2021, the Out of the Vault Exhibition presented artworks revived from the UCF Art Gallery permanent collection which featured an array of artists, mediums, and styles. The exhibition was a rare opportunity to see artists such as Thomas Hart Benton, John Chamberlain, Dorothy Gillespie, Doris Leeper, and Robert Rauschenberg as well as 20th century African masks, sculptures and figurines which were donated by several prominent arts advocates and collectors. Nearly ten years had passed since the collection was exhibited in the UCF Art Gallery.

The 2021 Faculty Exhibition began later that semester, showcasing the artistic research and practice of the School of Visual Arts & Design faculty. The exhibition showcased a wide range of traditional and contemporary media and processes including animation, architecture, drawing, digital art, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture.

The fall semester finished with the Fall BFA Exhibition: Severance showcasing undergraduate students studying in book arts, ceramics, drawing, experimental animation, illustration, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture.

In Spring 2022, the UCF Art Gallery exhibited artwork commemorating the 30th anniversary of Flying Horse Editions and to honor its beginnings in the printmaking studio inside the UCF School of Visual Arts and Design. Flying Horse Editions (FHE) is a collaborative research studio for visual artists at the University of Central Florida. A non-profit publisher of limited-edition prints, artist books, and art objects by internationally renowned artists, FHE offers unique opportunities for artists, students, and the Central Florida community. Flying Horse Editions offers visiting artists the opportunity to work with FHE technicians to push the boundaries of their work while providing a unique educational experience for UCF students. 

The Florida Room: 2022 MFA Exhibition explored identities and histories through the juxtaposition of outward and inward thoughts, emotions and physical spaces using a variety of mediums and processes. The exhibition showcased the thesis work of Master of Fine Arts candidates in the Studio Art & Design MFA track at the UCF School of Visual Arts and Design: Anthony Mancuso, Ryan Price, Hunter Pylant, Jeremy Robinson, Sheherazade Thenard and Forrest Wilson.

   

Tessellate: Spring 2022 BFA Exhibition provided the opportunity for senior undergraduate students specializing in book arts, ceramics, drawing, illustration, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture to share their research and artistic practice.

Ascendance: Spring 2022 BFA Exhibition provided the opportunity for senior undergraduate students specializing in experimental animation to share their research and artistic practice.

Finally, the Pathways 2022: The Carlos Malamud Prize exhibition was the result of a collaborative partnership between the UCF Art Gallery and the Rollins Museum of Art to celebrate and support emerging professional artists working in Florida. Juried by an external panel of three professionals from various areas of the art world, the 2022 edition of the exhibition featured six artists with diverse practices: Eugene Ofori Agyei, Channing Gray, Aimee Jones, Eric Ondina, Ivan Riascos and April Webb. The selection included a variety of media, themes, scales, and approaches, showing a wide breadth of perspectives and experiences. Works by the six finalists were shown at both venues, creating opportunities for engagement with two of the area’s major academic constituencies and their surrounding communities. The winning artist of Pathways: The Carlos Malamud Prize, Eugene Ofori Agyei, received a $10,000 cash prize, a solo exhibition at the RMA in the summer of 2023, and will participate as a juror for the following edition of the exhibition. Agyei will also receive additional professional development and support. This consistent engagement over time makes Pathways unique and transformative among other art competitions. It hopes to nurture emerging artists and provide a pathway to success, which coincides with the core missions of both presenting institutions.