Juried Student ExhibitionJUROR STATEMENT- LISA RANALLO

This year is one of strengthening partnership and exchange between the Yellowstone Art Museum and MSU-B's Art Department. I want to thank Robin Earles for inviting me to select work for this year's Juried Student Exhibition and for creating a friendly, inspiring space where all feel comfortable to gather and talk about art!

The curatorial process is creative, and selecting works for an exhibition can depend on a multitude of criteria. Sixty-four objects from twenty-nine students were submitted. I chose one piece from each student, which piqued my interest and left me wanting to spend more time looking. However, I also wanted to honor the shared gallery space and consider any relationships or underlying themes among the disparate works of wide-ranging mediums and styles.

As I went through the selection process, I noticed a self-reflective mood and a seeking to explain the unexplainable.  Many of the works seemingly respond metaphorically to the unprecedented conditions of our world. Expressions of fear, decay, and abandonment are countered with those of renewal, rebirth, and hope. In the ebb of a global pandemic and shifting social constructs, this exhibition shares an authentic look at our contemporary experience.  

I want to thank the students for sharing their work and wish them the best as they travel an adventurous path forward.