Frost exhibit showcases student-artists

Master in Art Education Exhibition will be on view through Feb. 2

A few years ago, Master in Art Education student Doris Rodriguez-Graber became intrigued with the story of the Angel Oak, a live oak on Johns Island off the coast of South Carolina, estimated to be 1,400 years old. She wanted to learn more about the unique qualities of trees standing for more than 1,000 years and their dependent species.

For her graduate thesis at FIU, Rodriguez-Graber decided to explore “the beauty, strength and mystery of earth’s longest-living organisms and the relationship between these trees and the survival of wildlife.”

With her ancient trees series, Rodriguez-Graber hopes to raise awareness for the urgent need to retain exisiting trees and establish new ones.

Her series of ancient trees paintings is now on view at the Frost Art Museum as part of the 2010 Master in Art Education exhibition. The exhibit is composed of the work of eight students graduating from the Master’s of Art Education program in the College of Education, studying with David Y Chang, Frost professor and director of art education.

The collection includes landscapes of the ocean and the Everglades, portraits and mixed media pieces inspired by classic sculptures.

Chang, the curator and a nationally renowned painter, says the exhibit “crosses cultural and national boundaries. The themes vary from personal and emotional connections to environment, social and cultural connections.”

The exhibition runs through Sunday, Feb. 2.

Check out a sneak peek in the video below.

Master in Art Education Exhibition artists:

Rachael Cutrufello

Noemi De Yarza

Nathan “Dee” Delinois

Aileen Marti

Amelia Monroe

Rosanna Montoya

Wendy X. Ordonez H.

Doris Rodriguez-Graber