The reopening of Wey Hall in August marks a turning point for the Department of Art, highlighted by the launch of the Cathy P. Walling Gallery. The gallery’s debut exhibition celebrates not only the renovation, but also the roots of the building, creating a central space for learning, creating and reflecting.
The exhibition, showcasing the talent and perseverance of past alumni is open now through Oct. 22. An opening reception will take place on Oct. 3, from 5-8 p.m. A closing conversation with the Creative Team will be held on Oct. 22 at 6 p.m.
The exhibition in Wey Hall was made possible by the 2024-25 Department of Art’s Student Advisory Committee, the Gallery Committee and the Creative Team.
The exhibition serves as a celebration of the art department’s legacy and invites the campus and wider community to come together in a shared spirit of creativity and strength.
Organized by four Department of Art alumni, this exhibition is a tribute to the past of Wey Hall and an inspiration for what is to come.
The exhibition was curated by Crisol Campos, Jacob Fluharty, Maggie MacKenzie and Samantha Oleschuk. As App State alum, they each have their own connection to Wey Hall and how it has shaped their artistic journeys. Campos, a member of the Creative Team, discussed how she got involved in the opportunity. Jody Servon, a professor and coordinator for the art management program, encouraged her to apply.
“Jody reaching out to me about this opportunity is a testament of how Wey Hall and the Art Department truly cares about their students,” Campos said.
One of the biggest challenges they faced in creating the exhibition was the number of submissions they received.
“We had over 250 submissions,” Oleschuk said. “We decided to do the call for art without any specific theme beyond being an alum of the department to see what people were currently creating and what was important to them. Those themes that are highlighted in the exhibit statement and through the artwork itself really came out with care and growth and reflection.”
Instead of creating a theme from the start, the team allowed for submitted works to guide the direction of the exhibition.
“We never really thought of a theme coming in, we let the artist and art influence us what theme to lean on,” Campos said.
The program’s website lists the exhibition as a reflection of Appalachian culture with issues of environmental concerns, relating back to Hurricane Helene. The exhibition reflects a wide range of issues that resonate with artists and communities alike. It highlights aspects of themes of family dynamics and personal identity that also emerge through the exhibition.
Fluharty, a graphic designer for the exhibition, weighed in on his own enthusiasm to get involved.
“I was displaced by Helene, so a lot of the show’s undertones really resonated with me. I was eager to get on board and happy to have such an amazing team,” Fluharty said.
Oleschuk said a specific piece of artwork that resonated with the Creative Team was an art-piece called “ALL HAIL COMPLEXITY,” created by Jess Ledrowski.
“We really latched onto that, that concept of complexity because Wey Hall itself is so complex because of the impacts from Covid, from Helene, from construction and renovation. It’s such a communal space for art students,” Oleschuk said.
Other pieces of the exhibition include Juliana Maurer’s “Safe Space,” an artist book of four volumes, that questions safety through intimate conversations with loved ones. As well as Evelyn Cadalise Kline’s “Greenway Dreams,” an enamel work inspired by Boone’s Greenway Trail.
“There’s a lot of really cool dialogues in the gallery, between pieces, whether they are next to one another or sharing space across walls,” Oleschuk said. “That kind of gives insight into the process that we had as we were bringing this together that takes a little bit more time than just seeing one work of art on its own.”
Wey Hall continues to serve as a place for fostering creative growth and community, creating a space for students, new and old, to continue their artistic journeys.
“Wey Hall is generational,” Fluharty said. “There’s a lot of emotions tied into the art department in terms of the craft, in terms of the community and the experience. Hopefully in creating this exhibit, we are able to evoke that and display that through the works of a past alumni.”
