The Spring Members’ Exhibition is giving people a new taste in art. The exhibition is hosted at the Hopkins Center For the Arts and the pieces there are all unique and exciting. They are made by local talented artists, and what I love most about the exhibit is that every piece is made to tell you a story. The artistic angles and viewpoints you will see are truly inspiring. I was at the opening night of the exhibit and I was able to see some of the artists and what their headspace was when making their piece, which just made their finished product 10 times more special. The place even gave out awards to artists. To truly understand the exhibition, you need to know the artwork.

In the exhibition there were many different types of art. There was photoshop, collages, sculptures, pottery, paintings, portraits and more. I loved a lot of it, so it was hard to choose a favorite, but a lot of the abstract paintings clicked with me. The way the art presented itself was super interesting. For example, many of the mixed media art would use wood or steel to give the piece more of a gritty exterior. Other pieces, especially in self portraits, would use glass or similar porcelain-type glow and make the piece glossy. Through the scrambled pieces of art you would find a significant amount of blurred photo printed art. I loved it especially because it gives layers to what you’re seeing. There was such a range that one artwork made by Mandy Pedigo was a quilt that had a digitally-printed quote by Madeleine Albright. One of the most interesting 3D pieces was a sculpture that was two guitars in a guitar case with amplifiers taped on the case and it really signified the essence of rock and roll.

Something that was interesting to me was that they put prices on these pieces. The prices in this exhibition ranged from $75 to $4,800, but some were also not for sale. Each one of these pieces also had a title to them. These local artists are so creative, they give their pieces the weirdest names that make you think. For example, some titles are: “Seriously? You’re Bored?,” “Elephants Oh My!,” “How Does Your Garden Grow?,” “Belly Dancer” and “OMG.” That just gave me more respect for these local artists showing off their skills while giving us a short laugh, but still giving us a chance to admire what they had made for this exhibition. 

During the opening night of the exhibition, I picked out my favorite piece which was an abstract painting called “Strike Zone” by Terri Monson. It is made out of acrylic and copper. I searched for Terri and was able to find her and interviewed her. She gave me some idea of what she had made. She started out by making layers of bright colors on the canvas and when she put the copper in she was inspired by Ukraine and made the painting hold a warzone theme. She also gave some advice to young artists like students such as us — she said to never stop creating art and to keep on pushing forward. If the artists there are anything like Terri Monson, the art is just as good as the people. 

The Spring Members’ Exhibition in the Hopkins Center For the Arts was really intriguing and fun. The pieces in there give you spring in the form of artwork and honestly, it’s just really exciting to see what local artists are making. This exhibition is limited-time and will end on May 14, 2023, so get there while you still can. If you’re looking for art that will give that spring spark you need, there is no better place to look than the Spring Members’ Exhibition.

“The Spring Members’ 2023 Exhibition:” ★★★★★