The latest exhibition displayed in the Barrows Rotunda in the Hopkins Center for the Arts is an assortment of colorfully painted objects precariously balanced on blocks and shelves or hanging from wires. Designed and created by studio art intern Grace Dowd '11, the exhibit "This is My World" is a sculpture that draws attention to the mixing of colors and the "off-kilter" placement of "visually appealing" objects, according to Dowd.
"I never particularly drew it out or planned it like this it was more of a vision or feeling I had," Dowd said. "I don't want everyone to look super deeply into it, but it is in some capacity a representation of my personality."
With hundreds of students, faculty, staff and community members passing by or through the Hopkins Center every day, the rotunda is a 360-degree visual space for exhibition pieces by students and faculty.
"The space is awkward, but unique," Dowd said. "One of my goals was to make some sort of piece or installation that worked well with the circular space."
Dowd said her piece could not fit in any other space, but also sees the limitations in the rotunda's glass enclosure, which prevents viewers from looking really closely at the exhibit to see "all the tiny details."
Although she was able to install her entire piece in less than 10 hours, there is a "ton of stuff" that still could fit in the rotunda which Dowd said she plans to add.
"While I don't believe that everybody walking by my piece will notice later additions, the idea is to get people to look a little harder and to think of what is going on and what the purpose of the additions are," Dowd said.
Dowd said she feels the title, which came first, parallels her project's capacity for continued additions.
"Every time I say the title, I kind of want to add more, like This is My World you are welcome here' or This is My World take me to yours,'" Dowd said.
"This is My World" is influenced greatly by Judy Pfaff's sculptures, which utilize an abundance of colors and objects to appropriately fill up space, according to Dowd.
"She is just an incredible woman and honestly my inspiration for sculpture," Dowd said. "Her installations are so filled with color, so filled with movement, space and not-space."
Dowd, a studio art minor, decided to apply to be a studio art intern because of the "incredible opportunities" the program provides, from access to a personal studio to an abundance of resources provided by the College, according to Dowd.
"In the real world such an opportunity would just be outrageous," she said.
In addition to working on their own projects, studio art interns are responsible for working in the studio, answering students' questions as a teaching assistant and completing other "basic grunt work" as necessary, according to Dowd.
The rotunda was a gift in 1962 from John and Marcia McCrea parents of Thomas McCrea '53 and the late Stanley McCrea '57 to honor Marcia McCrea's art patron parents, Stanley and Frances Barrows, according to the College's website.
Gerald Auten, director of the Studio Art Exhibition Program, is responsible for the management of the rotunda space, according to Dowd. The rotunda annually holds an exhibition of the results of studio art interns' work and student workshops in ceramics, jewelry and woodworking, according to the website.
Dowd's exhibit "This is My World" will be on display from July 29 to Sept. 5 in the rotunda.
