Tunxis 'Really Is An Art School' and Exhibit Shows It

The 32nd Annual Tunxis Student Art exhibition is on display April 18-28 in the Barnes-Franklin Gallery.

The juried exhibition includes paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, digital fine art and graphic design.

“All art students were eligible to submit work,” explained Fine Arts Instructor Susan Strauss. About 100 pieces were entered in the competition.

Strauss, a portrait artist who trained at the School of Visual Arts and Pratt Institute in New York, said she had “found a home here with motivated students who are making leaps as they go from one class to another. What is really nice about this school is that the faculty is so good. This really is an art school.”

Sebastian Czeczotka, a graphic arts student who will graduate in June, agreed emphatically.

“I think Tunxis is a great school.”  Czeczotka was the recipient of a Graphic Design Award for his film poster, “It's All In The Label.”

After watching the film Food Inc., Czeczotka’s Graphic Design class was assigned the task of creating a movie poster for the film.

“We, as a society, don’t read labels, so I used symbols for e coli bacteria, biohazard and genetically modified products on my poster to bring attention to the dangers of processed food.”

Czeczotka is a winner in many ways. In 1992 he was diagnosed with cancer and came to United States from Poland for treatment at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington. While undergoing treatment, he met Tunxis faculty member Beth Reynolds, a photojournalist working on a documentary about cancer patients, who inspired him to study art. Now in remission, he chose Tunxis because “there’s a great atmosphere, great teachers. I felt very comfortable here.”

Joe Sam, a mixed-media artist, selected the winning pieces. In his juror’s statement he said it is a “hard choice when selecting art. Art selection is so subjective and it will always be at the whim of the juror.”

Awards were presented at the opening reception Monday night to the following students:

Painting:

• Megan McCray
• Rachel Wendt
• Kara Giarratana

Drawing:

• Eva Maslinski
• Erica Field
• Ellie Gianelli

Sculpture:

• Erszebet Dudas
• Bonita Rothmann
• Mary Dibeneth

Photography:

• Devon Sheldon
• Marc-Yves Regis
• Evan James Mangan

Graphic Design:

• Sebastian Czeczotka
• Trent Williamson
• Stacy Viegas

Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., and by appointment. The show is free and open to the public.