Casper College learning turns into spooky exhibit at ART 321

A view of the “Creepy Art” exhibition at ART 321. Seventeen students from Casper  College have their works on display in the exhibition. (Courtesy photo/Carli Holcomb)

Seventeen Casper College students enrolled in “Foundation: Three-Dimensional Design” currently have their creepy and creative work on display at ART 321 through October.

For the second consecutive year, Casper College and the Casper Artist’s Guild collaborated to “… highlight the essence of art as a bridge between seasoned artists and aspiring talents from the academic world,” according to ART 321. The show also features local artists, but ART 321 noted, “Our open call for creepy art has become a hybrid assignment for students from Casper College’s ‘Three-Dimensional Design’ class.”

“I am absolutely thrilled to celebrate the outstanding success of our ‘Foundation: Three-Dimensional Design’ students on their incredible exhibition of Halloween-themed sculptures at ART 321. The exhibition is a resounding triumph, and I am immensely proud of this wonderful group of talented, thoughtful, and hardworking artists,” said Carli Holcomb, visual arts instructor.

The 17 students in the class were asked to take a deep dive into Halloween history and research what makes people afraid, story-telling traditions, and lore. “Each student considered their own concept of fear and allowed their experiences to inform their sculptures,” said Holcomb. “The exhibition showcases spell books, haunted objects, urban legends, floating figures, and a lot of hard work and grit,” she added.

For this show, the students learned to make plaster casts of their bodies and faces, and several pieces on display incorporate these casts. According to Holcomb, Casper College provides a supportive setting for challenging projects because the college and instructors believe in each student’s ability to rise to the occasion. “Their achievement underscores the vital importance of offering our students creative, experiential opportunities as a primary component of their learning,” Holcomb noted. “In honoring their achievements, we affirm the value of nurturing creativity and its important role, celebrating art as a process and expression, and providing opportunities for our students to shine.”

“This ongoing partnership has not only provided students with an invaluable opportunity to exhibit their incredible work but has also enriched our entire exhibition,” added ART321.

The students of the Casper College class “Foundation: Three-Dimensional Design,” along with the name of their piece and hometown, are as follows: Leayah Argueta, “Woodland Gobli,” Los Angeles; Angelena Coleman, “Forest Spaghetti,” Casper; William Eastin, “Hush,” Casper; Sierra Farquhar-Baltazar, “Hunger Hurts but Starving Works,” Denver; Gordon Ferris, “Enticement,” Ethete; Mariah Geis, “Horror of the Cathedral,” Casper; Delaney Geisler, “A Gentleman’s Dinner,” Douglas; Madison Harvey, “Romans 12:2,” Powell; Rayna Januska, “Caged,” Healdsburg, California; Rita Mata, “Don’t Say Her Name,” Orange County, California; Jennifer Norcross, “Trauma,” Casper; Deshawn Pederson, “What’s in the Box,” Casper; Stephanie Salazar, “Distorted Crawler,” Casper; Desirae Smith, “There’s No Going Back,” Casper; Alex Torres, “Boxed In,” Santa Maria, California; Paige Wilson, “Death’s Grip,” Casper; and Jayden Wright, “Escape,” Casper.

The “Creepy Art” exhibit will be up through Tuesday, Oct. 31. ART 321 is open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.