Picture
removed
A
CONTEMPORARY
ROLE
FOR
THE
CAMPUS
ART
GALLERY
BY
GENE
COBB
“There
is
an
art
show
opening
at
the
Bartlett
Gallery
tonight.
Do
you
want
to
go?”
One
hears
this
each
month
on
a
Wednesday
evening
immediately
after
joint
worship
at
Atlantic
Union
College.
If
you
asked,
“What's
happening
tonight?”
you
might
hear
a
variety
of
answers.
“Carlos
and
Tawnya
are
playing
selections
on
flute
and
classical
guitar.”
“They're
having
hot
cider,
cheese,
and
crackers.”
“A
whole
crowd
of
people
are
going
.
.
.
like
a
party.”
“It’s
warm,
and
my
friends
will
be
there.”
“It's
neat
to
see
faculty
and
students
mingling,
and
there
are
so
many
off-campus
visitors...
all
together.”
“I
really
don’t
understand
the
art,
but
it
is
fun
and
the
artist
explained
how
the
art
mirrors
his
own
experience.”
“The
paintings
make
me
feel
like
I'm
being
swal-
30
ADVENTIST
EDUCATION
&
APRIL
-
MAY
1989
lowed
in
a
mass
of
blue,
but
peaceful
.
.
.
like
drown-
ing,
maybe.”
The
campus
gallery
has
two
main
functions:
(1)
to
increase
visual
literacy
by
promoting
the
visual
arts;
and
(2)
to
establish
a
relationship
with
the
com-
munity.
Each
concern
is
directed
to
the
primary
audiences:
the
student
body
and
the
surrounding
neighborhoods.
The
student
observations
above
recognize
the
art
gallery’s
programs
as
both
social
and
aesthetic
experiences.
The
Campus
Gallery
as
Classroom
The
college
gallery
has
many
of
the
same
objec-
tives
as
the
classroom.
When
the
gallery,
acting
as
a
classroom,
exhibits
works
of
art,
it
asserts
that
there
is
some
thing
serious
in
art
to
be
under-