The Faculty Art show wrapped up on April 9. This show allows the faculty members of the art department to put their talents on display on an annual basis for the entire campus to view.

Dr. Jessica Mallard, Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Humanities, said that this gives faculty a chance to really just stretch their creative muscles. ”This event really shows the level of expertise and skills our faculty possess,” said Mallard. “They are not just teachers. They are artists, they create work and students need to see the cool things their faculty is doing.”

There are some students, however, who do already seem to appreciate what the faculty is doing. Art student Anna Parsons said she visits the faculty art show every year.

“It’s interesting to see the faculty so involved,” Parsons said. “It’s kind of like seeing your mentors or your superheroes showcase their talents. It’s so surreal and you don’t expect to see all this creativity.”

Parsons said that we sometimes forget that the faculty has goals and dreams just like the students do.

“This is what they went to school for and we forget that they are probably just as passionate about it now as they were back then,” Parsons said. “With the art show, it’s like they have their own museum for a while. It lets them be appreciated.”

Jon Revett, assistant professor of art, has been at West Texas A&M University for 15 years both as a student and as faculty. He also was in charge of organizing the faculty art show.

“We set the example on how to be an artist,” Revett said. “These faculty art shows are important to both students and faculty and it demonstrates to the students that their professors are still artists and that they are still producing.”

Revett said that writers for a newspaper and people in radio production are artists in their own right.

“Make art. Find your own way. Creating art is the deciding factor. If you’re not creating art, then you are not an artist,” Revett said.