UF's cultural venues abound in little-known places

March 28, 2007

A look beyond the Cultural Plaza near 34th Street reveals plenty of art venues nestled throughout the University of Florida campus. Whether you’re searching for a different way to pass time between classes or simply want to explore something off the beaten path, opportunities exist to view a wide range of artistic talents in unexpected yet convenient places.

“The Gallery” on the second floor of the Reitz Student Union, features submitted artwork by students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Exhibitions and performances are chosen to promote public awareness of contemporary art. Upcoming exhibits include work from ceramic students, art that addresses issues about the war in Iraq, and an annual art exhibit supported by the Gainesville Commission on the Status of Women.

Grinter Hall, just east of the University Auditorium, houses the Grinter Gallery on the first floor. An endowment from Linton and Constance Grinter provided this unique venue that features art with a multicultural focus. Each show is curated by a museum studies graduate student from the School of Art and Art History. An African exhibition featuring pieces from the private collections of professors and the Harn Museum will be on display until the summer

“It offers a view inside the region,” said Nicholas Frech, the guest graduate student curator at Grinter Gallery who is completing his doctorate in Ethiopian arts. “They have this stylistic unity, and I think that’s evident in the show.”

The University Gallery in Building B of the Fine Arts Campus Complex is the place to stop for a look at modern art. An important component of the teaching and research at the School of Art and Art History, the gallery’s six exhibitions a year bring current ideas in contemporary art to the Gainesville community. The contemporary design and high ceilings provide a backdrop for exhibitions designed to enhance and challenge students in the school of art while also providing a venue for thesis exhibition.

For a closer look at student work, walk over to the Focus Gallery in the main lobby of Fine Arts Building C. This 850-square foot space also presents exhibitions of invited artists’ work in a vibrant venue. The shows change monthly and offer opportunities for curatorial experience to faculty members and graduate students in the museum studies graduate program.

“It’s really a great space,” said Amy Vigilante, director of the University Galleries in the College of Fine Arts. “So many people walk right by and don’t even know we’re here.”

For more information about UF’s smaller art venues, visit the Web at www.arts.ufl.edu/galleries/ or www.union.ufl.edu/gallery/.

By Panagiota Papakos