Cal Poly’s University Art Gallery is now hosting its Alumni Exhibition featuring artwork from six art and design department alumni. The artwork is being displayed now through Dec. 6.
Nicole Jacobsen
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Walking through the doors of the Alumni Exhibition, visitors are greeted by a room full of photographs. Charlie Sheen is on one wall, with women from Jordan in traditional headdresses on another.
The Alumni Exhibition, hosted by Cal Poly’s University Art Gallery, features the work of six art and design department alumni: Heather Finnecy, Tommy Garcia, Laura Krifka, Erik Marinovich, Grant Shaffer and Garet Zook.
Through the work of gallery coordinator Jeff Van Kleeck, these alumni were chosen to showcase their work. They returned to their alma mater to show current students what opportunities their degrees have given them.
“We tried to bring alumni to show students what they can expect when they graduate,” Van Kleeck said. “We want students to know that they can be successful.”
Each artist has multiple pieces displayed at the gallery, showcasing their career accomplishments. The art ranges from work with celebrities to more documentary-style still photography.
Featured artist Finnecy explained her work as an important look at the real lives of women in the Middle East with her gallery titled “From What I Can See.”
“You always see the Middle East depicted as a war-stricken area,” Finnecy said. “I was much more interested in what the daily life is really like for women there.”
Walking through the art gallery, viewers can see what they might not expect — Middle Eastern women with heavy makeup, adorned with jewelry.
“I really want to make a book about the lives of women around the world,” Finnecy said. “I think being a woman in this day and age is a very interesting thing to see.”
All six of the artists are professionals, and their work includes many different types of art.
Garcia has photographed celebrities for Time Inc., NBCUniversal and Simon & Schuster. Shaffer’s illustrations have appeared in The New Yorker and The New York Times, and he has worked on films such as “Zoolander” and “Charlie Wilson’s War.”
Marinovich has worked for clients such as The Atlantic Monthly, Wired and Nike.
Krifka and Zook are studio artists who have exhibited their respective work both nationally and internationally.
Art and design junior Jordan Triplett said although she doesn’t know specifically what she wants to do after graduation, she knows seeing the work by alumni helps to get her thinking.
“It’s nice to see grad’s work,” Triplett said. “It can really show you what might be in your future.”
The Alumni Exhibition is open for viewing Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Dec. 6.