BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE STUDENTS’ WORK ON DISPLAY AT
MONTCLAIR ART MUSEUM
February 16, 2000, Bloomfield, NJ -- Bloomfield College’s Creative Arts & Technology (CAT) students have accomplished something many professional artists can’t even boast -- they’ve had their work displayed in a museum.
The show, “Bloomfield College: Creative Arts & Technology,” is currently on display in the East Gallery of The Montclair Art Museum and features 42 computer-generated works by Bloomfield College students, as well as a video tape and several music tracks created by the students. The exhibit runs from February 12 through March 10.
“It’s mainly a mixture of graphics and manipulated photographs,” explained Chris White, chair of the Division of Creative Arts & Technology. “To me, it looks like an advertising show. It’s very slick and very attractive with images ranging from the obvious to the obscure.”
The students were invited to submit work created in Professor Charles Seplowin’s computer graphics courses, including Computer Imaging and 3-D Graphics and Animation. Students also submitted computer-generated works which they created independently. The videotapes were made by students in instructor Bill Walters’ video production class and John Towsen’s multimedia and digital video classes, and the music - ranging from classical to popular - was written, performed and recorded by White’s music technology students.
“The exhibition is extremely diverse, representing the full range of what we offer in CAT,” said Professor of Art Lisa Rabinowitz.
Bloomfield College’s Creative Arts & Technology program exposes students to traditional fine arts training and promotes creativity while giving them a sense of mastery of the latest technology in the arts and communications fields. The program offers concentrations in computer graphics, video production, fine arts, interactive multimedia, music technology, theatre and publishing.
Bloomfield College and The Montclair Art Museum have collaborated on several projects through the years, and according to Tara Belluscio, Education Director at The Montclair Art Museum, re-establishing the partnership seemed to be a natural fit.
“When I was offered this gallery space, I knew that I wanted to work with Bloomfield College,” said Belluscio. “I know several faculty members at the College, and we worked with Barbara Isacson (Director of the College’s Media Center) on an exhibit last year, so I was confident that we could put together a good show.”
Pulling the exhibit together was truly a team effort, according to Rabinowitz.
“Charles Seplowin did all of the printing of the works, and Professor Lynne Oddo and I did the framing,” said Rabinowitz. “Really, every faculty member had a hand in it.”
According to Belluscio, the Museum prides itself on community involvement, and is pleased to offer the students a venue for their work.
“It’s important to show works done by students. It’s exciting for them to see their works on display,” said Belluscio. “Hopefully this will trigger future collaborations between the College and The Montclair Art Museum.”
“The Montclair Art Museum has been extremely generous,” said Rabinowitz, who stated that this experience should prove to be invaluable for CAT students.
“Computer lab manager Nancy Bacci and I have been working on professional skills development with the students, helping them to find internship opportunities and encouraging them to exhibit their work,” said Rabinowitz. “This exhibition at The Montclair Art Museum is an exceptional opportunity for the students. It’s an opportunity that’s rarely given to undergraduates.”
White added that he hopes that the exhibit will not only expand students’ resumes, but also their awareness of possibilities.
“I think it’s important for students to be aware that the end consumer isn’t always the faculty. There is a larger world out there, and this is a kind of wake-up call,” said White.
The Montclair Art Museum is located at 3 South Mountain Avenue in Montclair and is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and 1 to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Sunday. For information, call (973) 746-5555.
For information about Bloomfield College’s Creative Arts & Technology program, call (973) 748-9000 ext. 129.
