Bonfoey Gallery is excited to announce an exhibition celebrating the work of the senior class of the Visual Arts Department at the Cleveland Institute of Art. This Is Not A Student Show will open Friday, May 13th, running through Saturday, June 4th. The show features thirteen soon-to-be graduates of CIA’s Class of 2022: Ewuresi Archer, Makenzie Byerley, JJ Elsass, Paxton Enstad, Liana Gonzalez, Eliza Karp, Meg Lubey, Howe Fun Lye-Starks, Lucian Mordecai, Jay Peperone, Alyssa Radakovic, Xander Ristofski, and Sebastian Schenz.
These thirteen artists are completing degrees in one or more of the following: painting, drawing, sculpture and expanded media, and printmaking. As such, the pieces are diverse in terms of processes, materials, and perspectives. The work explores a variety of themes: from homoeroticism and the LGBTQ+ community to immigration and cultural identity. In fact, several artists comment on identity, both cultural identity and gender identity, using art as a contemplative and therapeutic process to cope with feelings of marginalization and representation. The works are reflective of each artist’s innate qualities and experiences, but are also intentional in how they depict the message the artists spent the past four years cultivating.
The wide variety of artwork and themes allows for interesting juxtapositions within the exhibition. One can see work representing the ordinary next to work that explores the absurd and imaginary, or small-scale depictions of mundane items next to whimsical panoramic paintings. It is a beautiful occurrence to see all of these pieces live together in one space. The exhibition is not one to miss.
We are fortunate to inhabit a city with so many incredible educational institutions and arts programs. With this exhibition, we hope to support emerging artists in the Cleveland area. As such, a portion of the gallery’s proceeds will be donated to CIA’s Visual Arts Department.
