The front door to Gallery 425 in Kent creaked with each new attendee to the Kent State art club’s exhibition, “FEAR: A Sensory Experience” on Saturday, Oct. 25. 

The show featured about 25 original pieces, all themed around personal fears of the artists. The gallery showcased a variety of mediums on display for gallery goers to enjoy. It also held a ‘Best in Show’ competition, with the winner getting an all-expenses paid trip with the art club on its upcoming trip to Pittsburgh. 

“We want to better people for the future through art club,” said Shelby Solomon, sophomore fine arts major and vice president of the art club. “An artist can’t be successful if they’re always in their studio.”

Solomon said added that the aim of the club is to get the artists experience with gallery exhibitions and show productions.  

Solomon said she had two pieces featured in the show: one was an audio and visual presentation of her interpretation of fear; the other, titled “Deconstructed Self”, was a self-portrait displaying bits of the artist’s blood, hair, nails, skin and saliva in glass bottles, which she put together in 2013. 

Gabriel Poucher’s ‘Security Blanket’ installment, won Best in Show. The installment was crafted from rope and steel rods and was installed directly into the walls of the gallery, protruding with metal points into the viewer’s space. 

“Having it be the dimensions of my body gave it a more personal feel,” said Poucher, a senior crafts major. 

He added that the piece started as an assignment for a textiles class he’s taking at Kent State.  

The piece focuses on how as adults and students build physical and emotional barriers against their peers. 

The gallery also encouraged attendees to participate in the exhibit, said Isabella Luzader, art club president and sophomore fine arts major, as a way to involve them in the exhibit. The activity, Luzader said, took a week in the making, collect strips of paper from students in classes during the week and at the gallery and, had them write down their fears.

“So the idea was kind of similar to be ‘fears hanging over your head’ and things like that.” Luzader said. “We actually chose fear as a kind of unifying theme that everyone has experienced.”

The strips of paper will be taped to pins and hang from the ceiling of the gallery on Monday, she said.

The gallery had a broad range of Kent residents and students attend, Luzader said. She also said she plans on hosting another show in April through the art club with a theme being chosen in the coming weeks. 

“This show is better than the last one,” said Larry Staats, sophomore fine arts major and member of KSU’s art club. “I’m excited to see where it goes from here.” 

Contact Andrew Keiper at [email protected].