For the second consecutive year, The Asbury Review is teaming with Kinlaw Library to exhibit art in the South Wall Gallery. Sophie Sunny, Collection Manager of Kinlaw, will be curating the exhibit once again.
Sunny decided to highlight the visual art from The Asbury Review after seeing the Fall 2022 edition, working with the then-Editors-in-Chief Hailey Small and Lily Kesten to pick the most cohesive art for the library collection. This year, Editor-in-Chief Emily Ellis was more than happy to work with Sunny to do the same. “[Last year] turned out so well that [Sunny] said, ‘Hey, let’s do this again,’ so the Review is taking more of an active role in it.”
The art exhibit will feature both visual art and poetry from the Fall 2023 edition of The Asbury Review, entitled “Undergrowth” for its themes of death and life and darkness and light. Sunny has chosen from the spectrum of artwork that was accepted into the Review, drawing the attention of library visitors to the art that may not be fully observed within the pages of a book. A meeting between Sunny, Ellis, Review faculty advisor Dr. Erin Penner and Associate Editor-in-Chief Klara Kinman helped guide Sunny’s selection in order to create an acceptable limit of content.
The gallery exhibit will follow a similar pattern to the book–starting on a high note, working its way towards and through darkness, then finishing on a lighter and more redemptive note.
The original pieces of art will be showcased on the main floor of the library, framed and accompanied by prints of the featured poetry. Sunny noted that her intention was to focus more on the visual art, as the poetry and fiction featured in the Review “will have a similar impact” whether it is viewed on the wall, online, or in your hands. Visual art, Sunny points out, is different. “Its impact is affected by its size. Putting it on a gallery wall is way different than looking at it in a 5×7 book.”
The artwork Sunny believes will have the largest impact on people though their display on the wall is supported by poetry and fiction that she believes connects to the artwork most directly.
All of the artwork, poetry and fiction will be first displayed in the South Wall Gallery on Friday, Feb. 2, during the artist reception. The reception will be held from 3:00-5:00 p.m. for students, faculty and anyone else interested in stopping by to look at the art and hear from the artists, who will be there to mingle and answer questions. Insomnia Cookies and fruit will be served, much like the reception at last year’s gallery opening.
The reception has been intentionally scheduled during a scholarship competition, both to increase the number of viewers and to show prospective students what Asbury students have to offer. “The Review is more of a kind of niche, eclectic reflection of Asbury’s culture,” Sunny said. “Prospective students can see what kind of things go on on campus.”
The Review has been growing in size and popularity over the last two to three years, and Sunny hopes that by showcasing the artwork in the South Wall Gallery, the momentum will continue–even drawing in new generations of Asburians to contribute.