The opening reception of the Visual Arts Faculty Exhibition on Sept . 4 drew a large crowd to view a very diverse body of work . “ There is some very fine stuff here . It is amazing that a relatively small college has such a talented Visual Arts Department , ” said Peter Polomski , a patron of the arts , about the Eastern Connecticut State University staff . The exhibit opened on Aug . 28 in the Akus Gallery , located on the lower level of Shafer Hall .

The exhibit , entitled “ Building Consensus , ” included paintings in various media , sculptures , digital and lithograph pieces . Subjects ranged from portraiture and landscapes to abstracts . Artwork spanned from the humorous – reflected in the work of June Bisantz , who uses venues normally connected with advertising – to serious – represented by Amna Arroyo’s “ Ancestors of the Passage , ” a reflection on the slave trade .

“ The title is in reference to the middle passage , ” Arroyo explained . “ In this piece , their spirits are coming , resurrecting from the bottom of the sea . They are their own witness of their own experience , and they are coming to tell us . ”

Freshmen Samantha Beattie and Danielle Cargene were doing assignments for classes , which entailed choosing art they enjoyed the most , explaining why , and also telling what they thought the artist was attempting to convey . “ I like being able to look at the art and express how I feel about it , ” Carlene said .

Students were able to see a piece by Claudia Widdiss , which was incomplete , and to get some understanding of process . Her work is a large , free-standing sculpture of welded , riveted and forged mild steel . “ When completed , the patterns will be illuminated by a light contained in the sculpture , ” said Widdiss .

Adjunct faculty was well-represented , with 14 artists exhibiting . Muriel Miller’s impressionist style paintings , with their vibrant colors , jumped out at the viewer . “ I try to push beyond what I see , to what I feel in expressing a reaction to a place , ” she said .

The Akus Gallery is open Tuesday and Wednesday , 11 a . m .-5 p . m ., Thursday , 1-7 p . m ., and Saturday and Sunday , 2-5 p . m . The faculty show will run through Oct . 9 .