Students' artwork is featured at Meyerson

The Graduate School of Fine Arts opened its fall exhibition "Angel in the Basement" Saturday, featuring the work of 40 to 50 Fine Arts graduate students. The exhibit, which is in Meyerson Hall's art gallery, displays modern sculptures, paintings and prints of past works. 200 to 300 people attended the opening reception. The idea for the exhibit came earlier this year as a response to the Institute of Contemporary Art's opening of their exhibit "Devil on the Stairs," Chandler said. While the ICA's exhibit focuses on a retrospective view of the 1980s, GSFA's show looks toward the future, she added. According to the show's literature, most of the works are for sale. Asking prices run from $125 to $3,500, depending on the actual cost of making the piece and its size. Some prices are available only on request. While many of those who attended the opening said they would buy a piece if they had the financial wherewithal, none said they contemplated a purchase. "There's a difference between appreciating something and owning something," said architecture student Scott Broaddus as he looked at a $1,700 oil painting he liked, "Not to Want Anything, Not to Need Anything, Not to Have Anything" by Tom Reeves. "If I had the money, yeah I would buy it." Although many did not have enough money to buy the works, most at least had opinions. "The quality of work is not very good in some pieces, and there is a lack of sophistication," said Fine Arts graduate student and exhibit contributor Melissa Dadourian. Turkish painter Serap Cimenser said she expected more from the show. "It doesn't surprise you," she said. "I expect everything to be different than Turkish art." But, on the whole, most enjoyed the exhibit. Architecture graduate student Liet Chen said he deeply appreciated Phillip Stern's "Eurydice," a concrete statue of a woman. "The material expresses mystery, something ambiguous," Chen said. "It's a lot better than last year's," said Architecture graduate student Blake William, "I can say that architecture has to catch-up to the quality of Fine Arts." The exhibit was coordinated by Fine Arts graduate students Dawn Chandler, Brad Choyt and Paula Kowalczyk and run by committees of various other Fine Arts graduate students.

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