PBSC art exhibit to showcase student inspirations

Palm Beach State College’s Art Gallery at Eissey Campus will hold its 29th Annual Student Art Exhibition beginning April 7.
The exhibition is a showcase of artwork created by PBSC art students. The exhibition runs from April 7 through May 8, with the opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. April 7. Both the reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.
The works reflect the many art disciplines offered at the College: ceramics, digital and traditional photography, drawing, life drawing, applied and digital design and painting. There will be 160 pieces in the exhibition and much of the art will be available for purchase, with prices ranging from $20 to $1,000.
One of the pieces is a self-portrait from Sharon Bastin, who plans to graduate with an associate degree this spring. Titled “My Peaceful Kingdom,” the piece began in her three-dimensional art class as a plaster mask of her face.
“My Peaceful Kingdom is a representation of the relationship between me and my animals,” said Bastin. “Pets bring us all unconditional love. I am an equestrian, and my horse is not just my pet but also my partner or teammate. It is a tribute to them and the companionship we all have with our pets that inspired me to create this piece.”

Another work is from Aaron Novotny, who wanted to use the art of digital photography to capture the world in a different perspective than what the human eye can see. An idea came after he watched the rain hit the pond in his backyard one day.“A water droplet is so quick that the human eye can barely see what it looks like,” said Novotny.
“It’s amazing what a camera can capture that the eye cannot see, which inspired this series of water droplets. It is always a challenge to put a new twist on the way we see the world, and I try to capture that in every one of my photographs.”
Nichole Hickey is this year’s curator of the exhibit. Hickey graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history from the University of Wisconsin. She currently serves as the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County’s manager of artist services and curator of exhibitions and additional programming.
Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The Art Gallery at Eissey Campus is located in the first floor of the BB building, 3160 PGA Blvd. For more information, call the gallery at 561-207-5015.