Art and visual media are big parts of both the City of Buffalo and SUNY Buffalo State. The multiple galleries around the city and the few on campus are a statement to that. The art students at Buffalo State work to produce something that may end up in one of those galleries. In the case of the students in the DES 414 senior seminar class, that day comes sooner than they expect.

DES 414, a “Senior Seminar,” is run by Gerald Mead, who tries to teach his students how to get their artwork into galleries and develop their art career. This four-credit course shows students the business side to art. Students develop portfolios, resumes and interview skills, as well as learn how to do all the marketing for their art. This class also requires that students run a solo exhibition of their work.

“It’s really a capstone event for the end of their degree,” Mead said. Mead believes that these exhibitions are a chance to show what they’ve been working on for years. “It’s also a really nice celebration.”

The students of the DES 414 class have all been working for years to come up with their own style of unique artwork. The 28-student class has come up with ideas such as, beer packaging, invitation design and T-shirt design to showcase their art. Stephanie Kahn, a dual degree major in design and dietetics, has come up with a unique set of jewelry for her exhibition titled “Fabricated Chroma.”

The Fabricated Chroma exhibition ran from Nov. 10 to Nov. 14, and offered a unique style of metal work. The name of the exhibition comes from Kahn’s own play on words. Fabrication is the “metal” term for metalworking. Chroma refers to color. Color is a big piece of Kahn’s exhibition, as she uses her work as an exploration into the relationship between social structures and the individual. Kahn, who is also a sociology minor, said that each jewelry piece embodies sociological concepts, while the varying colors illustrates some of the ways social structures affects an individual.

“My intent is for this series to compel viewers to assess their own thoughts and actions,” Kahn’s said in her artist statement.

Kahn’s believes that people get swept into day-to-day actions and become complacent. She explained in one of her pieces, Candance, that it is supposed to comment on the mundane actions that most people go through.

“Eat, sleep, wake-up, work,” Kahn said while referencing to her artwork. “It expresses that people really lose sight of the bigger picture.”

Kahn’s connection to her work is seen both in her jewelry and with her explanations of each piece as she refers to every piece as “him.”

“You can’t help but bond with your work,” Kahn explained.

Fabricated Chroma is one of many exhibitions going on this month and next month, some taking place at off-campus galleries like Sarah Kieffer’s “Natural Deviation” exhibition taking place at the 1045 Gallery on Elmwood Avenue or Thomas Barlette’s “Against the Grind” exhibition taking place at Glow Gallery on Allen Street. There is even an exhibition and silent auction that will donate proceeds to the Food Bank of Western New York, running from Nov. 17 until Nov. 22 in the Upton Hall gallery.

These events and more will continue through the month until Dec. 17. Anyone interested in more information on any of the exhibitions or events should email Gerald Mead, [email protected], or the Visual Arts Board at [email protected].

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @NajeeW93