Tech’s Women’s Center hosted their first women’s art gallery on Sept. 1 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., featuring the artwork of Anna Grayson, a metals major from Gallatin, Tennessee.
The Women’s Center, located in Roaden University Center room 339, hosts a series of events throughout the year and works with other universities to foster community and promote gender equity.
“Part of our mission at the Women’s Center is to promote gender equity here on campus. We want everyone to recognize that everybody has their own special way of living out their gender in the world, and all of those ways are valuable, ” director Dr. Helen Hunt expressed. She stated that not only was the gallery a good opportunity to achieve their goals, but also to showcase some amazing art work.
The organization that prompted this gallery is known as the Juried Bachelor’s of Fine Arts Exhibition, held at Tech’s Appalachian Center for Craft. The Women’s Center Exhibition awards were granted to artists who participated in the BFA exhibition and mirrored the objective of the WMC. The piece “See no, Hear no, Speak no” by Grayson was chosen to be showcased this fall.
Based on the expression “See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil,” Grayson created three authentic copper works of art. They used what is known as raku firing to burn their hair into the piece. “The hair adds a sort of wiggly texture to the background and I really wanted a piece of me in the material,” said Grayson.
Raku firing is only one of many techniques used, the copper was also electro etched and enameled.
When looking at the piece, there appears to be three people displayed; however, the “people ” etched into the copper aren’t people at all, but rather silhouettes shaped like people. Grayson stated, “I wanted them to be ambiguous figures. They aren’t quite people, they’re people shaped … They are based off of feelings, not people.”
Grayson stated the meaning behind the artwork is to be an outlet to release all their stress. If they had one message for everyone, it would be not to stress.
For the Women’s Center, Grayson’s art portrayed what they stand for and gave them the chance to give Tech artists a voice.
“I wanted to do what we could in the Women’s Center to support student art,” said Dr.Hunt.
The Women’s Center will be showcasing the art of every BFA Juried Art Exhibition winner each semester.
