This Finals Week, FSU Libraries are inspired by the magical world of Studio Ghibli! With themed events and displays offered throughout the next two weeks at Strozier and Dirac, there are plenty of opportunities to destress and recharge between study sessions. Keep reading to see what’s happening!
Take a study break & unwind with a book from our Popular Literature collection! Our “Read & Relax” display will be available until the end of April inside Strozier Library next to the Starbucks Café. All books can be checked out at the Scholar Support Desk with your FSUID.
Join Art in the Library in celebrating all things Earth! Come tour Dirac Library’s current exhibition Communicating Florida, visit with our campus Coastal & Marine Lab, paint a planter, and enjoy FREE snacks and drinks while supplies last.
We’re inviting students to participate in the 10th anniversary of Art in STEM and the 10th People’s Choice Vote. Drop in and vote on the 3rd Floor of Dirac from 9 am – 4 pm. FREE snacks and drinks, while supplies last!
I’m Sahil Chugani, and I’m currently a senior at Florida State University. I’m going to graduate on May 3 with a degree in Statistics. After graduation, I’m going to be a data analyst in South Carolina for BlueCross BlueShield. My time as a Data Fellow has been nothing short of phenomenal. When I first started…
Last Call! Submit your application here. Since 1851, just 27 years after its founding, Tallahassee has been home to generations of students, including those of Florida State University today. In celebration of Tallahassee’s 200th birthday in 2024, the FSU Libraries Art in the Library Committee announces a call for submissions for its forthcoming juried student…
Introduction As the amount of data used by academic researchers and private businesses continues to grow, proper management of that data becomes a critical component of a well-defined data handling strategy. Generally speaking, data management can be defined as the practice of collecting, storing, and using data securely, efficiently, and cost-effectively. The main goal of…
Since 1851, just 27 years after its founding, Tallahassee has been home to generations of students, including those of Florida State University today. In celebration of Tallahassee’s 200th birthday in 2024, the FSU Libraries Art in the Library Committee announces a call for submissions for its forthcoming juried student art exhibition, 200 Years of Tallahassee: A View from Florida State. This show will debut in Strozier Library in May and will be on view for the rest of the year. The Art in the Library Committee seeks works of art that celebrate, remember, and interpret the sights, sounds, and voices of our city as told by the FSU student community.
Artworks chosen for exhibition may touch on, but are not limited to, the following themes:
Favorite spots on campus and in and around Tallahassee
Student Life
Traditions
Celebrations
Day in the life
Studying
Current FSU students are invited to submit 1-2 pieces of their artwork (photos, paintings, needlework, drawings, collages, etc.) that speak to the theme of celebrating the role of FSU and its relationship with Tallahassee on the Capital City’s Bicentennial.
All submissions are due no later than April 5th, 2024.
FSU Libraries’ Art in the Library Committee organizes visual and performing arts programming in its spaces to enrich the library as an aesthetic and academic environment. A major part of this program includes exhibiting artwork drawn from the FSU student body on a semester-long basis.
Dylan Cook is a recently graduated Environmental Studies major from FSU and has previously interned with the Florida Geological Survey. Cook grew up near the Florida Everglades and his formative experiences as a youth spending time outdoors in these environs have greatly shaped both his professional and artistic work. Each photograph presented in this exhibition both documents Cook’s personal encounters with Florida’s rugged natural environs and communicates the importance of protecting our state’s natural ecosystems as well. Get to know Dylan more through his replies to our 10 questions below.
Tell us about this show. Give our readers a brief introduction to the work you are exhibiting with us this semester.
The body of my work encapsulates the natural shapes and landscapes found in Florida. My pieces feature macros that highlight the textures often overlooked. I tried to include at least one picture from every trophic level to show that they are all important parts of the ecosystem.
What is your favorite work in this show? Tell us a little more about the story behind it.
My favorite photo is Buffer. I took this photo while diving with friends at 70 feet of fresh water after I found a small malfunction in my gear. In scuba diving, it’s easy to lose control of the situation if you can’t stay calm. I like this photo the most because it reminds me of a time when I was able to make it out of a tough spot by staying calm and collected.
What inspired or influenced you to become an artist?
I enjoy hiking by myself when I want to relax, and I enjoy hiking with my friends because I’m able to show them something interesting. The photos I take allow me to look back at these times and appreciate them. If anything inspired me to get outside, it was the time I spent with my family going to parks as a kid.
What does your artwork represent about you? What message do you want to send out into the world through your art?
My artwork represents my appreciation for the environment and my capacity for adventure. I express myself through my art by putting in the time and effort to get the right shot in the right location. My artistic process involves the right mix of planning, luck, and sweat.
Does your work comment on current social or political issues? If so, how?
The current climate crisis is something I hope people pay more attention to. Part of the reason why I take photos is to document the current health of a place. An important part of gauging the health of an ecosystem is knowing where it started. Unfortunately, a lack of documentation of our natural environment has led to a phenomenon called shifting baselines, where we forget what an ecosystem looked like before we started interfering with natural processes. This makes it difficult to restore it to its original beauty.
Do you have any long-term goals related to making your artwork?
Nothing serious; right now, it’s just a hobby that I enjoy. I’d like to save up to get some better equipment, but what I have has worked just fine so far.
How does being a student impact your creative process?
My busy schedule often prohibits me from spending too much time on my photography. However, I feel that the topics I am learning about in my environmental science classes provide me with a different perspective on the places I go and the subjects I choose.
Is research part of your art-making process? If so, could you give us an idea of what that process is like? Where do you do research before you start making? Are there any specific kinds of information that are critical to your work?
Sometimes I will do research on a location before I visit it but I try not to lean on this too much because then it won’t feel like an adventure to me. I like to be surprised when I go somewhere, and part of my process is striving to experience something new and unique.
What is your dream project or collaboration?
I’d like to do more photography in the Everglades. It’s an extremely dynamic system that has more than enough photography opportunities and if I can support legislation to protect it, I would be very grateful. I’m also interested in macrophotography in the Red Sea.
Where can our readers learn more about you and your work? Please share any social media or personal contact information you’d like to have published on our blog.
Anonymous artist Companion is a queer artist living with Bipolar I disorder who focuses on illustrating the fragility of the human mind and the importance of mental health treatment. Through bizarre scenes and eerie imagery, Companion depicts their disturbing memories as experienced in psychosis. Each painting presented in this exhibition acts as a physical expression of the delusions, paranoia, pain and fear experienced by the artist.
“For me, there is power in anonymity; power which takes focus off of the ego and onto the piece. When you look at my paintings, you look at thousands of decisions that my mind has made; you are looking into my mind. Hopefully as you get up close and notice the imperfections that I have left behind in each piece, you are able to feel the vulnerability I have given up to share my work with you.” -Companion You can see Companion’s work Hallucinations; A View into the Psychotic Mind in the Dirac Science Library all of Fall 2023.
Tell us about this show – give our readers a brief introduction to the work you are exhibiting with us this semester?
This show consists of a collection of paintings that I have worked on with the intent to relay the feelings of paranoia, pain, fear and delusion as I experienced them during a psychotic break. I want to give a glimpse into insanity, and as an artist, I have been gifted with the outlet and opportunity to express this dark period of my life.
What is your favorite work in this show? Tell us a little more about the story behind it.
My favorite work in the exhibition is the piece titled “Man and Two Voices.” This painting acts as an attempt to visually express the sensation of auditory command hallucinations. The painting depicts a man wrapped in a blanket in a psychiatric facility; the two distinct voices he is hearing are represented through the face and shadow figure on the left side.
Are there themes that pervade your work in general, not limited to the works included in this current exhibition?
Fear will pervade my artwork for the rest of my life. I have been creating art my entire life but have always felt seemingly directionless in terms of my style and subject matter. I am drawn towards artworks which are bizarre or unsettling (some of my favorite artists and sources of inspiration include Francis Bacon, Rene Magritte, Francisco Goya, Mark Rothko and Zdzisław Beksiński). Because of this, I create art that attracts similar intrigue. Psychosis, while undoubtedly the worst thing I will ever experience, has gifted me with an endless pool of emotion to pull from.
What does your artwork represent about you? What message do you want to send out into the world through your art?
My artwork represents the part of my mind that has been forever altered by the experience of psychosis. I plan on continuing this journey of emotional expression. I want to show the world what it is like to forget your own name; to not recognize the person looking back at you in the mirror.
How does your work comment on current social or political issues?
Through my art, I hope to bring awareness to and de-stigmatize mental illness, especially severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. I also intend to create art that comments on mental health treatment in the United States. A lot of the infrastructure we have in place regarding mental health treatment is severely flawed, and hopefully my works can make an impact on this matter.
Do you have any long term goals related to making your artwork?
In terms of exposure, long term, I hope to see my artwork being displayed somewhere of great importance. I want to remain anonymous; but I want my art to behave as its own entity, presented for mass consumption. In regard to the actual art making process, I hope that one day I feel that I am closer to expressing what I experienced during psychosis. The paintings on display for this exhibition are only the beginnings of my journey in achieving this goal.
How does being a student impact your creative process?
I would say that being a student sometimes impedes my creative processes. It can be difficult for me to consistently create artwork and simultaneously be a student living with a disability.
Is research part of your art making process? If so, could you give us an idea of what that process is like? Where do you do research before you start making? Are there any specific kinds of information that are critical to your work?
I often look for inspiration by looking through works created by my favorite artists which I mentioned earlier.
Do you have a preferred medium to work in?
Currently, I have a preference for painting in oils, but I often draw in charcoal, graphite, colored pencil and pen. All of the works in this exhibition are oil paintings, and I expect to continue to work a lot in this medium moving forward.
Do you have any social media accounts where people can find you?
Not at this time but I want to have something for my work soon! Check back in in a few weeks.
FSU Libraries’ Art in the Library Committee organizes visual and performing arts programming in its spaces to enrich the library as an aesthetic and academic environment. A major part of this program includes exhibiting artwork drawn from the FSU student body on a semester-long basis.
Arya Anderson is an undergraduate student the College of Fine Arts. She hopes to provoke people, regardless of their gender, to feel the connection of femininity in the world around them and know that emotions should not be contained but felt and felt loudly without shame. She wants to evoke the feeling that we are a part of this world, and we are all divinely connected.
We sat down with Arya to ask about her exhibition and about her work as an artist. You can see Threads of Identity: Interconnectivity and Intersectionality in Dirac Science Library for the entire Summer 2023 season.
Tell us about this show – give our readers a brief introduction to the work you are exhibiting with us this semester.
Arya: This show in particular means a lot to me. It’s my first exhibition show. Each piece was made with different intentions but they’re all about women and what women experience. How women can be powerful through their expressions.Its key that some pieces are abstract while others are clearly recognizable as women. Because all women look different and have their own stories to tell while these pieces also have their own stories to tell.
What is your favorite work in this show? Tell us a little more about the story behind it.
Arya: I would say the Woman in Green, the second in the series of abstract pieces. I consider it a self portrait. I felt really connected to it. I depicted it as the woman feeling lost but she still embraces her journey and tries to live her life in color.
What does your artwork represent about you? What message do you want to send out into the world through your art?
Arya: For every piece I create is influenced by someone I have encountered or experienced. Whether its a folklore I’ve read or an angry person in a store. For example Unveiled Rage is about my own childhood experience and the way I felt neglected as a child and now as an adult I can feel rage and going through those emotions is not a bad thing, its a part of my journey and my story. I want people who see my work to know they can express themselves and tell their stories even if they dont like every one of my works.
How does being a student impact your creative process?
Arya: I’m a double major – which takes a lot of my time- and I don’t have time to explore my own creative time outside of class. But being a student has truly been a blessing. Being able to work with and share ideas with other student artists has been a great part of my student experience. It has given me the chance to have new experiences like this one, to exhibit my work, which I don’t think I would have found or been able to experience outside of this community.
Is research part of your art making process? If so, could you give us an idea of what that process is like? Where do you do research before you start making? Are there any specific kinds of information that are critical to your work?
Arya: So research is a part of it, not for every piece; some pieces are about creative emotions and a release of those emotions. But recently books and novels have been a large part of the influence of my pieces. History about women from various places and cultures has been a big part of what I look into. A lot of my work has recently centered around mythology and folklore so a lot of my research has been with people from those cultures or books about those stories.
Do you have a preferred medium to work in?
Arya: I don’t limit myself to a medium but I would consider myself a painter over anything else. I don’t restrict to a type of paint. I started with acrylics and moved onto oils, and lately I’ve been experimenting with water color and gouache. But I really continue experimenting with different paints and mediums until I feel my works have reached their fullest potential.
Who are your biggest artistic influences?
Arya: This question always really trips me up. I would like to say a famous or well known artist but that would be a bold-faced-lie. My biggest inspirations are fellow artists and books. I love working with my fellow art students and artists in the community, and even with people who I interact with that are just bold and honest. I feel like thats where you get true inspiration and find honest and truthful work.
How does art-making fit into your day-to-day life?
Arya: Art-making IS my day to day life. There has not been a single day in four years where I didn’t make art, even if it’s a small doodle, working on a painting, or designing a flier for a friend; there is not a day I don’t do some form of art making in my life.
Are there themes that pervade your work in general, not limited to the works included in this current exhibition?
Arya: My overall body of work is centered around interconnectivity. I believe every human, animal, plant, and even rocks hold and share energy. Even books hold energy and we share it and it moves among all of us. I pull from feminism and folklore – I believe femininity is a divine force and as I continue my practice I want to pull that more. Mythology and folklore play a huge part in my personal practice and I want to really focus on the feminine characters and energies in those stories. I feel that those stories have been shrugged off as unimportant stories of the past written for children but I feel like they’re still relevant and hold important messages and I want to continue to share them in our current world.
Where can our readers learn more about you and your work? Please share any social media or personal contact information you’d like to have published on our blog.
Arya: I have an instagram account called @aryasartworld and I have a website called aryasartworld.com where you can find a contact form and a commission form.
FSU Libraries’ Art in the Library Committee organizes visual and performing arts programming in its spaces to enrich the library as an aesthetic and academic environment. A major part of this program includes exhibiting artwork drawn from the FSU student body on a semester-long basis.
Gizem Solmaz (left) and Danielle Wirsansky (right)
Danielle Wirsansky is a PhD student in History, and her photography focuses on storytelling and themes of anemoia, a longing for a time or place which you’ve never known, may never know, and which is always changing. Gizem Solmaz is a PhD candidate in Curriculum and Instruction and her astrophotography represents the meaning of the deep feelings digested in space, allowing her to express her own feelings in the moment of artistic creation.
The Sum of Many Spaces: Landscape Photography and the Sense of Self, featuring the photography of both artists, is on view at Dirac Science Library during the Spring 2023 semester.
FSU Libraries (FSU): Tell us about this show- give our readers a brief introduction to the work you are exhibiting with us this semester.
Danielle Wirsansky (DW): My works in this show are from a series of nature and landscape photographs taken when I was in Israel. I was born there, and I moved to the US as a child – however, I have always felt a dichotomy of identity with both nations. There is a term, orachat la’regah or “a visitor that comes only for a moment.” This is a theme across my pieces – seeing Israel as someone like a visitor, even though I was born there and am a citizen. Gizem Solmaz (GS): I have always loved photography. One of my youngest memories was when I was about 6 on a family trip and I somehow got control of the camera. My parents were shocked to find all sky photos, no family photos. While this disappointed my parents, I was so excited. This is the first time I was sharing what I saw through my eyes with other people. For the photos in this show at FSU Libraries, as a woman in Turkey I took these photos alone, in the dark, and in that experience I felt so strong and accomplished. I am thrilled to share these with everyone. This exhibition gives me a chance to do just that, so it’s so really emotional.
(FSU): What is your favorite work in this show? Tell us a little more about the story behind it.
(DW): I think it’s actually the piece called Prayer with the woman at the Western wall praying. I was photographing people who wanted really candid photos and I snapped this in the middle of the shoot. I found it really moving and powerful, a special moment in this place that’s important to so many people. (GS): I think In Limbo, because when I was 8 years old in 1999 there was a massive, deadly earthquake in Turkey. I was the first person in my family to wake, and I remember looking at the clear sky, thinking how it felt so close to us because all the lights were out. The city around us was destroyed but I felt so connected with the sky and the stars. I felt safe and like it would all be ok. When I took In Limbo I remembered that night. I was alone with another female friend and we were so scared but we didn’t leave. When I got home I let myself look at the photos to see if I was able to capture the composition I had in my mind, and I was so glad to see it worked. All that fear was worth it and I was so proud of myself for working through it. I would also like to mention that this photograph won the People’s Choice Award at the FSU HSF Excellence in the Visual Arts Awards Exhibition.
(FSU): What does your artwork represent about you? What message do you want to send out into the world through your art?
(DW): Usually, I don’t do landscape photography – I make more portraits. In all my work I get to construct the story I want people to take away, but this series of landscape photography is really personal. It’s about me, as a citizen of Israel and as an American. More generally I like to explore these feelings of longing, like anemoia. That’s really evident through this exhibition because there are so many people who want to go to Israeli but may never get there. These photographs give viewers a glimpse of this place but also into me. (GS): All my life, whenever I get excited about something or try something new, I feel like I’ve been discouraged often that I won’t succeed or I’m wasting my time. No one ever supported or encouraged me to try things. I would like to tell the whole world not to listen to the negativity of others – what matters is what you want to do and what makes you happy. If I had listened to those people I would not be here and exhibiting right now at FSU Libraries. I also think we should keep people close to us who do support our dreams. In fact, I didn’t know about this opportunity until a close colleague told me about it and encouraged me to apply. I wouldn’t have done it without him. Look for the people that show you the light.
(FSU): How does being a student impact your creative process?
(DW): I find that I’ve been really good about making opportunities for myself as a student to combine my research with art making opportunities, and also taking advantage of UROP which sparked so many chances for me to take so many paths that I didn’t think I would. My artwork would not be where it is, I wouldn’t be where I am if I had not been a student for so long. I’ve been at FSU since 2012 and my craft has really grown since this time started. (GS): For taking astrophotos you need expensive equipment to really capture the wide sky views, but because I was a student I was able to take advantage of a program Fuji Film has to freely borrow equipment and learn how to work with it. Similar to the opportunities provided through the Libraries and other student organizations, I was able to explore other opportunities to work through my photography and think through different ways of my creativity.
(FSU):Is research part of your art-making process? If so, could you give us an idea of what that process is like? Where do you do research before you start making? Are there any specific kinds of information that are critical to your work?
(DW): Absolutely. I got involved with research early through UROP at FSU and I was actually part of the first cohort of arts researchers – it was still small and there were almost no arts research projects for me to work on. I ended up working as an assistant to a History professor and I enjoyed that research work so much that I decided to pursue a MA and eventually a PhD in History. My research is also heavily informed by dramaturgy practices as I was a Theatre undergraduate major. With this influence I am very detail-oriented and that shows in my photography. For example, this summer I did two concept shoots while I was in Israel. One was a reinterpretation of the medieval Ecclesia and Synagoga – I thought a lot about how they were depicted then, why, and how I wanted to depict them as equals to craft this new narrative. So in researching I wanted to find new and creative ways to tell the story and to share that with my viewers. (GS): Yes, research is a BIG part of astrophotography. You need to know when stars or planets or the Milky Way will appear in the sky, what the weather will be like with temperature and humidity, and if specific sites will photograph well. This may not require advanced research skills but it really does require research. Sometimes research for astrophotography includes site visits before you shoot to see what it looks like in person as well. My research process also includes getting to know my photography equipment, practicing techniques, and learning about how other photographers use their equipment. Research in general is a really big part of my personal and professional life, but photography really pushed me to search more, experiment more, and even fail more in the process.
(FSU): Who are your biggest artistic influences?
(DW): Bella Kotak is a photographer I admire. She does fairy tale-type photography where she inserts herself into her photos within these fantasies. She is South East Asian and lately she’s been pulling in fairy tales from her culture as well. I also really admire Jamie Beck. She does a lot of photography on nature and her work looks like paintings. Her work is full of symbolism and is evocative of old paintings. I really like her style and I’m interested in trying something like it one day.
(FSU): Are there any trends in the art world (past or present) that influence you?
(GS): Not really, I was never really looking at trends through art. I was more involved with the techniques of astrophotography, but I might look more into trends to think through different perspectives moving forward. I do follow other astrophotographers – they travel and work to speak about climate change or poverty, and their stories have impacted me. I appreciate their work and the purpose behind it.
(FSU): How does art-making fit into your day-to-day life?
(DW): Right now I am studying for my Ph.D. comps in January and for me, it’s been a great way to both procrastinate and do something I enjoy. In my daily life, I try to do photography everywhere I can. I work as a social media assistant for the History department and I’ve been really fortunate to be able to focus on more creative, cinematic projects in that role. I am also a co-founder and the managing director of White Mouse, a theatre company here at FSU. I sometimes still do marketing photography for them. I hope after comps I can also do more creative shoots just for me.
(FSU): Why do you make art?
(GS): I don’t know if it is because I am an extroverted person but I’ve always felt like I had something to tell and add to this world. But then I’ve learned in life that not everyone will want to hear about you or what you think. What I’ve learned is that only the people who are really ready to talk to me about my work and my story get in touch with me, even if others don’t. I think – I just want to add something, be something in this world. And say in this big world, I am valuable.
(FSU): Do you have any long term goals related to making your artwork?
Pictured from left to right: William Rowe (Fall 2022 exhibiting artist), Gizem Solmaz, and Danielle Wirsansky.
(DW): I set yearly goals for myself. Last year I was really focused on magazine publications, and this year I focused on gallery exhibitions. So far I’ve exhibited in 20 galleries! I haven’t really decided what I want to focus on next year but I do want to think about what I can learn about my craft and perfect or experiment with. I want to explore what types of stories I can tell and what I want to say. I want a larger body of work to be able to say more with my photography than just one or two things. I am really grateful for this opportunity at FSU Libraries to have my work in conversation with someone else’s work. (GS): I’m unsure. Getting to exhibit my work was a long term dream and I didn’t expect this to happen now. I always imagined it happening at a much later time in life. I think my goal now is to be able to tell my story to my family and friends, show others how my life has gone and can go. I am a fan of poetry and if I can combine my poetry with my photography I hope to one day do that kind of work and to continue exhibiting and telling my stories.
(FSU): What is your dream project or collaboration?
(DW): There are 2 projects I’ve been thinking about lately. First, to make a series of historically inspired portraits of real queer figures in history where we don’t have photographs – to give these figures back a face, to raise awareness of their stories with concrete images. I think it would be great for queer people today to be able to embody these figures and to continue to tell their stories which are historical but still relevant. The second project leans more into landscape and nature photography. There’s a project called YOLOCAUST around selfies at Holocaust sites as Holocaust education. That’s a real passion of mine, in terms of the pieces of history that I study. I think a lot of the locations of Holocaust atrocities are being forgotten and I would like to go and do my own interpretation to show viewers what it was and what it is now. I want to explore how people grapple with historical preservation and historical memory.
(FSU): What inspired or influenced you to become an artist?
(GS): Two things specifically: 1) Even though they never really shared their art with other people, both my mom and dad were poets. I actually found their work locked away at home (not because they showed it to me), and that was when I realized I could be an artist without being rich or famous. My parents are really ordinary people but they could still be artists. I was probably about 7 when I found out. And then 2) my grandfather inspires me so much – was a really successful businessman for his whole career but now he is disabled. One day he decided he would be happier and more fulfilled volunteering and he closed his business to do that. Now he volunteers, and even though walking is hard for him, he’s never given up on his passion. By now he has supported about 15,000 students through his volunteering. He shows me that if there’s something I really want to do that I can do it.
(FSU): Where can our readers learn more about you and your work?
(DW): I have a small photography company called 3 Muses Photography which is more of my commercial work, but you can see some of my fantasy-type work there, too. I also have work available for purchase in Tallahassee’s Common Ground Books and at the Rust and Rose Boutique in Monticello. My Instagram is @3MusesPhotography and you can follow me there or on Facebook. (GS): Besides photography, I am a diver and I take SCUBA diving videos. I post them on YouTube @scubawithgizem. Readers can also connect with me on Instagram @gizemsolmz, on Twitter @Gizem_Slmz, and through email at gizemsolmaz91@gmail.com.
Are you an artist or a group of artists looking to exhibit your work? Interested in sharing your art with the FSU Community? Have a curated exhibit you’re ready to share? Submit an exhibition proposal for the summer semester by February 17, 2023. This semester the Art in Library Committee is accepting proposals to exhibit at the Dirac Science Library, on the main floor in the hallway surrounding the central stairwell and elevators. This space is viewed by hundreds of students, staff, and faculty a day and can accommodate 10-15 hanging works depending on the size. For more information and to submit your exhibition proposal, visit this link.
As the Visual & Performing Arts Librarian at Florida State University something I say often is that no two days are ever the same. And how could they be? I am the liaison to all six departments within the FSU College of Fine Arts (Art, Art Education, Art History, Dance, Interior Design, Theatre) as well as the FSU Master Craftsman Studio, the FSU Museum of Fine Arts in Tallahassee, and the Ringling Museum in Sarasota. For these programs, I am responsible for all things arts-related such as collection development and management, library instruction, and reference. In this work, I’m always learning something new, and that’s one thing I really love about my job!
While my academic background lies in Art History, I am constantly inspired by the variety of arts topics I see throughout each semester. In the same week, I can go from acquiring forthcoming publications in medieval art history to working one-on-one with Dance majors researching the evolution of breakdancing. I might also be collaborating with our Special Collections & Archives Division to purchase rare materials like artist books and illuminated manuscript facsimiles, or even consulting on a digital scholarship project like the creation of the Open Access arts journal, Athanor.
Probably the biggest project I’ve been working on lately is the formation of FSU Libraries’ Art in the Library program. This new initiative is all about bringing the visual and performing arts into the library for the benefit of the entire Florida State community. We are a student-centered program that aims to highlight the work of artists across our campus, regardless of their major or professional aspirations.
If you are an artist interested in exhibiting with FSU Libraries: applications for the spring 2023 semester are being accepted now through September 30, and all the information about our exhibition program and future deadlines can be found on our website.
Found works of Karl Zerbe
Finally, when I’m not working with the Fine Arts community at FSU, I am active in several professional organizations. The Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) and its Southeast Chapter (ARLIS/SE) are two groups that have been very influential in my development as an arts librarian. These organizations have given me amazing opportunities to advance my scholarship through conference presentations and publications, grow my leadership skills by serving on committees and in executive roles, and connect with colleagues and mentors from around the world. Besides my work in the physical library, I have personally found that my ability to contribute to and shape my field of arts librarianship through such professional service is extremely rewarding.
This blog post was written by Leah Sherman, Visual & Performing Arts Librarian at FSU Libraries.
FSU Libraries’ Art in the Library Committee organizes visual and performing arts programming in its spaces to enrich the library as an aesthetic and academic environment. A major part of this program includes exhibiting artwork drawn from the FSU student body on a semester-long basis.
William Rowe is a current graduate student in the FSU Department of Art Education. Rowe graduated with a BFA in Art at Florida State. People I Know, featuring a collection of recent paintings by Rowe, is on view at Dirac Science Library during the Fall 2022 semester. Leah Sherman, Visual & Performing Arts Librarian, and Art in the Library Chair had the privilege of interviewing Rowe about the exhibit. Below is the full interview.
FSU Libraries (FSU): Tell us about this show- give our readers a brief introduction to the work you are exhibiting with us this semester.
William Rowe (WR): These paintings all portray people who are personally close to me or they are self-portraits. Each work depicts a specific moment in time with the sitter, capturing the atmosphere of that moment. In the portraits of others that are included in People I Know, each of the subjects is a very close friend and or is my partner.
(FSU): What is your favorite work in this show? Tell us a little more about the story behind it.
(WR): Bedroom: I finished this one very quickly – just an hour or two – so it has painterly or messy energy. This aesthetic is satisfying to paint; it gives a nice, intimate vibe through its abstract atmosphere. Staircase: Unlike Bedroom, this one took a long time. It was not a happy accident. It is gratifying in its own way, though, after putting many hours into its creation.
(FSU): What does your artwork represent about you? What message do you want to send out into the world through your art?
(WR): My paintings say that I like to paint and they say a lot about who I care about, as revealed in their subject matter. Each work carries a lot of the artist’s emotions, thoughts, and feelings projected onto the subjects. The goal with a lot of these works is to capture a feeling – an authentic moment in the painterly medium. Clear renderings of a moment, not fabricated narratives. These works are meant to show a real person in a real moment.
(FSU): How does being a student impact your creative process?
(WR): I made a lot of this work while in the BFA program – being a student pushed me to make more work. I find less opportunity now in grad school and have painted less in recent years. However, I have found a lot of creative time in the breaks between semesters.
People I Know by William Rowe at Dirac Science Library, Fall 2022
(FSU):Is research part of your art-making process? If so, could you give us an idea of what that process is like? Where do you do research before you start making? Are there any specific kinds of information that are critical to your work?
(WR): My version of research is constantly looking at artists I like – not only following historical movements but also artists working right now. When painting I also work from photographic references. I often capture moments in photographs to revisit later in my paintings.
(FSU): Who are your biggest artistic influences?
(WR): Salman Toor is one painter working today that I admire. His work is abstract and not very realistic. The theme of many of his paintings speaks to his background as being Middle Eastern, queer, and an immigrant. He creates very complicated, complex narratives that center on these themes. Henri Toulouse-Lautrec is a historical painter I am inspired by, especially his color palette and painterly style. I also enjoy his screen-printing and have done some screen-printing of my own as well.
(FSU):Do you have a preferred medium to work in?
(WR): Acrylic paint for sure, but I have done some work in oil. Overall I enjoy acrylic more because I find it better to work with, as a more flexible medium. I like working in gauche as well.
(FSU): How does art-making fit into your day-to-day life?
(WR): While I don’t paint for my current graduate degree, I work at Painting with a Twist and that gives me a lot of opportunity to paint outside of school. It’s a hands-on job where I practice copying and teaching. I also have my eye out for inspiration on a daily basis and I am frequently taking photos to return to later.
(FSU): What is your dream project or collaboration?
(WR): I would love to be part of a larger exhibition or project just dedicated to portraiture. I have exhibited before but not as often with many other painters, especially with painters more in dialogue with my own work around portraiture.
(FSU): Where can our readers learn more about you and your work?
Are you an artist or a group of artists looking to exhibit your work? Interested in sharing your art with the FSU Community? Have a curated exhibit you’re ready to share? Submit an exhibition proposal for the spring semester by Sep 30, 2022. This semester the Art in Library Committee is accepting proposals to exhibit at the Dirac Science Library, on the main floor in the hallway surrounding the central stairwell and elevators. This space is viewed by hundreds of students, staff, and faculty a day and can accommodate 10-15 hanging works depending on the size. For more information and to submit your exhibition proposal, visit this link.
Art in the Library is launching its first-ever call for Art Exhibition Proposals to display a student art exhibit at the Dirac Science Library this upcoming Fall 2022 semester. The purpose of the Art in the Library committee is to bring more art into the libraries, and enrich the library environment as an aesthetic and academic space. As part of this initiative, the committee is calling for artists to submit Exhibition Proposals for the upcoming Fall semester.
Are you an artist or group of artists looking to exhibit your work? Interested in sharing your art with the FSU Community? Have a curated exhibit you’re ready to share? Submit an exhibition proposal for the fall semester by July 7th 2023. This semester the Art in Library Committee is accepting proposals to exhibit at the Dirac Science Library, on the main floor in the hallway surrounding the central stairwell and elevators. This space is viewed by hundreds of students, staff, and faculty a day and can accommodate 10-15 hanging works depending on the size. For more information and to submit your exhibition proposal, visit this link.
In fall 2021, FSU Libraries’ Art in the Library program launched its first exhibition on the library’s newly renovated second floor. The works on display highlight two interesting narratives: that of both library history and local art history. Gifted in the name of a former librarian, these four works by a former FSU Art faculty member had been taken out of view in the course of several library renovations throughout the recent decades but were recently rediscovered. With little institutional documentation to work with, next steps included investigating the provenance of these works, their relationship with the building, determining physical condition and preservation needs, and ultimately, deciding when, how, and where to (re)install them.
Owl, before reframing.
Tree Ducks, recently installation on the second floor of Strozier Library.
The four bird prints by FSU Professor of Art Karl Zerbe were donated to FSU Libraries in 1972 by the family of FSU Librarian Reno Wayne Bupp. They were to be installed in the Social Sciences Division, where Bupp had been the first department head when Strozier Library was opened in 1956. Although this department no longer exists, the second floor – the current floor where the prints are located – was the original home of the Social Sciences at FSU. The prints are part of a 1970 series of twelve serigraphs, each depicting birds seen by Zerbe either in the wild or in a zoo. The four on display on the second floor are Owl, Tree Ducks, Ostrich, and Sun Bitternies.
Karl Zerbe (1903-1972) was a German-born American artist and educator. Zerbe studied chemistry in the 1920s at the Technische Hochschule in Friedberg, Germany, before studying painting under Josef Eberz at the Debschitz School in Munich. He fled Germany for the United States in 1937 when his work was labeled as “degenerate” by the Nazis and he soon became the Head of the Department of Painting at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. While in Massachusetts he was affiliated with the Boston Expressionist school of painting.
In 1955, Zerbe joined the Department of Art and Art History at Florida State University and continued in this position until his death in 1972. Zerbe had an avid interest in ornithology and created many paintings and photographs of local birds, including the works in this series. During his lifetime, Zerbe had many solo exhibitions at institutions such as the Art Institute of Chicago and the Detroit Institute of Arts. Today his work can be found in museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Reno Wayne Bupp (1910-1972) was born in Wayne Township, Ohio, and he earned a Master of Arts in History at Ohio State University in 1939. A veteran of World War II, Bupp completed a master’s degree in library science at Florida State University in 1950. He was the Head of FSU Libraries Social Sciences Division from 1959 to 1969 and he served on the FSU Faculty Senate during his tenure.
Dedication plate for Reno Wayne Bupp visible on each Zerbe print.
