Art education students exhibit their work at Frost Art Museum

By Erica Corsano

Five talented FIU students, who have just completed masters' degrees in art education, were recently selected for a special exhibition at the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum. 

The collection is on display on the first floor of the museum and includes works by Victoria Albert, Sofia Hernandez, Meryl Kieffer, Valerie Ramos and Brianne Torres. 

“While their curriculum of study has been consistent both in art educational theory and studio practice, their artistic expressions are divergent through various media. Their themes vary from personal and emotional connections to environmental, social and cultural contexts,” said Frost Professor of Art David Y. Chang, chair of the Department of Art and Art History in the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts (CARTA). 

Albert created quirky pieces with pastel on paper that involved a spirited self-portrait and an ethereal pair of paintings that represent the artist’s more playful side. Fernandez, on the other hand, created much more dramatic mixed media works based on poems by Edgar Allen Poe.

“Having my work exhibited at the Frost makes me feel validated and celebrated as a young, aspiring artist and educator. The Frost Art Museum is a respected institution and to have our show exhibited there is an honor and a privilege,” said Hernandez. 

This is the eleventh year that the Frost Art Museum has featured works by students graduating from the CARTA program. The exhibition has already garnered attention of FIU staff, including Kathleen Wilson, the vice provost for Faculty Leadership and Success and Susan Himburg, the associate vice president for Academic Planning and Accountability, who visited the exhibit in December and were impressed by the quality of the students' work.

“This exhibition marks a new level of artistic inquiry and professional advancement in the career of these artists and educators,” added Chang. 

A classically-trained artist, Chang leads FIU’s Academy of Portrait & Figurative Art, a studio where an artist and apprentices work together to produce fine art. It carries forward the classical painting tradition to future generations. The success of this approach to painting and drawing is reflected in the high quality of the works by students graduating. 

“We are proud to exhibit these talented artists as a part of our continuing support of FIU’s art curricula,” said Jordana Pomeroy, director of the museum.  

The 15 works are on view now until Jan. 12.