Two shows in one

Portland State’s Friends of Graphic Design team is currently hosting displays in two art galleries, which will be featured today through Nov. 22.

The event will be split into two gallery exhibitions titled 2 for 1 and Life Long Work Month. Both galleries challenge the student artists involved by imposing certain limitations on their work.

2 for 1 will be held in the Autzen Gallery, located on the second floor of Neuberger Hall, and consists of several pieces limited to two colors of each designers’ choice

Life Long Work Month, on the other hand, will be held in the AB Gallery, located in the lobby of the Art Building. Nine students from the design program have been chosen to share this gallery as a workspace.

“This year, the shows will be really exciting because we have a good selection of work,” said assistant professor of art Kate Bingaman-Burt. “You get two shows for the price of one.”

Artists Chad Kouri and Margot Harrington are the inspirational backbone for the Life Long Work Month exhibition in the AB Gallery. Both designers are recognized nationally and have served as mentors and motivational speakers to the art students here at PSU.

In 2009, Kouri conducted a project, Life Long Work Week, in Chicago with partner Harrington. The small business Renegage Handmade donated their storefront to Kouri and Seattle graphic designer Jesse Brown. The pair collaborated on art projects behind a pane of glass, in full view of the public.

In short, the artistic process functioned as the final product.

“Chad’s Life Long Work experience was so intriguing to our students that they wanted to try the experiment themselves,” Bingaman-Burt said.

Last week, Kouri and Harrington flew to Portland from Chicago, Ill., to help the design students fashion their own version of this project.

For the month of November, nine students—Steve Ebert, Corbin LaMont, Priscilla Phitsanoukane, Allison Berg, Randi Haugland, Tom Cober, Jeremy O’Connel, Lana MacNaughton and Ryan Bus—have been given the opportunity to reproduce Kouri’s experiment.

“We all have different goals in mind for utilizing the space, but the common goal is to work collaboratively, share our strengths and learn from everyone around us,” said Berg, a graphic design student, one of the nine selected.

Inspiration, collaboration and limitation are the unifying themes of both galleries. For the 2 for 1 exhibition, artists were restricted to only using one to two colors in their pieces.

“The colors are the one thing that ties everything together,” Bingaman-Burt said.

By limiting alumni and students to such a restricted palette, the work on display will convey the impression that the seemingly unrelated pieces form a cohesive whole.

“Rather than focusing on individual pieces, I think it’s better to focus on the show as a whole. There are pieces that are thought-provoking, fun, three-dimensional, community-driven and so much more,” said graphic design student Tina Snow. “We use design to communicate our ideas to either raise awareness on an issue, inform others on a new idea and create a message that’s encouraging or inspiring.”

2 for 1 will showcase the work of both graduated and current students.

“The show will be a good catalyst between alumni and immediate students,” Bingaman-Burt said. “This will be the first time that the two will be showing together.”

Bringing together alumni and current students will give both camps the opportunity to discuss art education and the struggles and ventures that the artists have undertaken.

“Our program is demanding, exciting and passionate about creating good work, and it shows not only in the student work but in the alumni work as well,” Le said. “The artists are in two different stages in their design paths, yet have stemmed from the same foundation.”

The exhibitions will have their opening reception today, Nov. 3, at 5 p.m. in both galleries.