The Department of Art in the College of Liberal Arts implemented virtual exhibitions this spring to ensure student BFA and MFA in art exhibitions would get the engagement deserved which has been inhibited by the COVID-19 pandemic. Exhibitions were experienced in person on the University of Nevada, Reno campus, but to maximize their reach, exhibitions have now launched virtually.

Each spring, art students are required to hold exhibitions as part of their degree requirements. The students are responsible for not only creating the art they plan to feature, but also setting up the entire exhibition, coordinating events around the exhibition, such as artists talks or receptions, and tear-down of the exhibition which includes returning the gallery space back to its original design.

“The 3D gallery tours for the student exhibits this spring have been a great resource activating an audience that has been limited due to COVID-19,” Scott Hinton, coordinator of digital labs and faculty research in art said. “The 3D tours of the gallery spaces provide a new opportunity to reach out beyond the University campus to visit the work that the students created.”

This year, the exhibition season kicked off with the BFA in Art Midway Exhibitions, which marks the half-way point for BFA students in their degree completion. In March, the BFA Midway Exhibitions featured students Halli Dalebout, David Delfin, Ana McKay and Sarah Shaw. MFA in art student Jared Longland also held his exhibition at the end of March titled “Safeguard.”

The BFA Thesis Show featuring Josh Galarza, Robert Ibarra and Cesar Piedra wrapped up at the beginning of April. This unique show featured three completely separate works with the topics married together nicely in one space. MFA student Weston Lee also held his exhibition in April titled Between Here & There.

MFA student Sogand Tabatabaei featured her exhibition titled “Unwoven” at the end of April.

The spring season culminated with the student art show featuring a number of talented artists displaying their best works in a competition environment. “Vignettes Of Variants: Selections From Quarantine” wrapped up the spring exhibition season.

The School of the Arts hopes to be able to continue providing these virtual exhibition experiences in the seasons to come. For more information and to listen to artists talks, visit the Department of Art website.