Students in the art department kickstarted Benedictine’s 35th anniversary of Social Justice Week by hosting their showcase, “Art as Human Connection.”
Of those in the junior seminar class who put on the exhibit was Michaela Francescon, who shed some light on theme of the show and the message they want to convey.
“The idea behind the show is that there’s human connection in art and how especially within the last year we’ve been so far apart from each other, because of having to quarantine.” Francescon, said.
Alongside the students, members of the Catholic Relief Services (CRSU) and Bryan Park, the advisor of the exhibit, came together to bring in an installation to the show entitled, “Into the Light” by internationally acclaimed artist, Hasna Sal.
Sal has been in Overland Park where she has been working to spread awareness through her art about the epidemic of human trafficking, which can be seen in her installation piece.
“People should take away from this the lesson that we don’t have a choice where, how, to whom we are born, but we can always choose what to do with our lives. We can go in the right direction or in the wrong direction. The installation illustrates this duality,” Sal said.
Sal was not the only one who displayed an emotionally vulnerable piece into the exhibit.
Art student, Veronica Ward created a 3D sculpture of a female figure, hunched over, crying and covering her face.
“It is something we all could connect with, on various levels strictly because the feelings everyone has been going through this past year,” Ward said.
The exhibit will be available in McCarthy Gallery of Art in Bishop Fink Hall, daily from 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. until February 26.
