The student workshops, which do not grant credit and are completely elective, are divided into three main sections: the woodworking shop, the Donald Claflin Jewelry Studio and the Davidson Ceramics Studio. All three media of art are impressively displayed in the rotunda.
"It's a selection of work that students have done on their own initiative over the past year," Gregory Elder, director of the woodworking shop, said.
Although there are many beautiful works on display in the rotunda from more experienced craftsmen, Elder said he is especially excited about the art contributed by newer participants in the workshops.
"There's art in there from people who really have not made very many things, and for them, what's exceptional is their tenacity to stick with a project that takes some pretty advanced skills," Elder said.
All of the art in the exhibit, which even features a handcrafted guitar made by Alfredo Velasco '13 on one of the center pedestals in the rotunda, shows an incredible level of craftsmanship and dedication.
"One thing I really enjoy is I see a lot of students take on some pretty demanding challenges and pull them off," Elder said. "Although it seems to be more about what students get out of it than the final product."
The exhibit allows students who have been working over the past year perfecting their skills and projects to give the rest of the Dartmouth community a chance to admire their hard work. Velasco said he didn't know Dartmouth had these workshops until he came here.
"When I realized Dartmouth had a workshop, I went there the first day it opened," Velasco said.
Once he decided to begin challenging himself with more demanding projects, the workshop became a big part of his life at Dartmouth.
"[The guitar] took about 200 hours to make," Velasco said. "It's fun to do, so I think I'm going to keep doing it."
Jeff Georgantes, the director of the jewelry studio, said the student workshops are a great addition to the overall artistic experience at Dartmouth.
"It allows people to explore their creative sides without any consequences," he said. "A lot of students come to this because there are no grades, and they are intimidated by the idea of making art that may affect their grade average."
Whatever the reason for participation in the workshops, it seems to be an extremely popular outlet for many Dartmouth students. The Barrow Rotunda exhibit, however, gives viewers only a small glimpse into the workshops, which accommodate between 800 and 900 students a year in one of the three studios, according to Georgantes. The program is not limited to undergraduates many students from the Dartmouth Medical School come to work on projects in their free time, Georgantes said.
"We get a surprising amount of students who are destined to become surgeons," he said.
Particpants also range in their experiences as well as their year at the College. Kiah Williams '15, a teaching assistant at the jewelry studio, has multiple pieces of handcrafted jewelry on display in the exhibit and said she has found the workshop to be both fun and cathartic for her.
"I go there when I'm stressed out," Williams said. "It's therapeutic."
Williams has two rings on display in the rotunda that she cast out of silver. Although she has already become one of the more skilled participants in the workshops, she said a great aspect of the studio is that it gives her the opportunity to experiment with her art, even if that means sometimes making mistakes.
"I was working on soldering some rings out of silver, and I accidentally created this fireball thing because I wasn't quite comfortable with the torch yet," Williams said. "It didn't blow anything up so that's good."
With works made by students ranging from freshmen to senior undergraduates, the rotunda exhibit displays an immense diversity of participation in the student workshops.
"I think one thing the workshops do is make a gateway for a lot of students who don't think of themselves as artists to get involved with their hands and their minds to make things," Elder said. "When people make things, not only do they have a great appreciation for what they themselves have made, but it really changes peoples' perspectives on the world and things around them."
