The hallways that were once blank are full of bright red, blue, and yellow colors from the walls decorated with student prints, canvases, and photos portraying their artistry. A QR code on the wall links to a student film. The display contains a mixture of both 2D and 3D work, allowing each artist to contribute their individual style to the collection. 

Black Student Union (BSU) opened the Blackprint Gallery in building two for students and staff to view on Feb. 27. This gallery included 21 pieces from eight student artists representing their personal “inspirations of black culture.”When asked to describe the art gallery in one word, curator of the gallery and visual junior Taniyah Aris said it was “eclectic.”

“It’s a different feeling (than other art shows), because I’ve recently started to get into curation (of artwork) and putting art shows and different exhibitions together, and honestly, this is (different because) it’s never been about me,” Aris said. “It’s been about the collective idea of immersive craft and immersive art coming together because I’m tired of art not being seen as a celebration.”

This is the second year of BSU’s art gallery. When preparing for this new addition to the club’s spirit week, Aris knew she wanted to provide members more ways to feature their artwork. This year, the theme of the show was Inspirations of Black culture. 

 “Everybody’s so used to the performance type (of art), and going to shows (to see other students’ art), so we just wanted to propose an alternative version to what we have to offer, especially with our (theme of) diaspora,” Aris said.  “(A) continued exhibition came to mind, and we’ve been playing with the idea of having people bring their art pieces.” 

To read more about Aris, look out for “Aris Style” in Issue 3 of The Muse, available soon.