Loyola’s Student Art Show began on November 13, and continues until December 10 in the library gallery. It was my first time attending a student art show here at Loyola, and I was completely blown away. The wide array of art and photography pieces was extremely impressive, allowing the different styles of each artist to shine through. Even more remarkable, was that all of the pieces that covered the entire gallery were completed by only four artists.

Marjorie Allen’s collection, entitled Traveling Dreams, was inspired by her experience in Belgium along with its surrounding countries. Through her travels, Marjorie captured the different cultures and landmarks of 22 countries through her photography. Marjorie’s favorite piece is named “Waiting for Mbarek Oularbi,” a beautiful photograph taken in Marrakesh, Morocco and Lisbon, Portugal, that stands out by her use of advanced collage and Photoshop techniques that creates a dream-like image. Upon asking when her photography career began, Marjorie responded, “I started photographing with my dad in middle school, and it just stuck ever since.”

Tori Buch, another photographer, displayed colorful and textured works through her Coming Home collection. Falling back on her roots, Tori’s photographs represent autumn in her hometown of Berks County, Pennsylvania. Autumn is not only her favorite season, but the distinct hues of oranges, reds and yellows provide intriguing photographs that are eye-catching. Tori’s favorite photo from her collection is entitled “Direct Me Home.” She further explained, “This piece shows my hometown and a town close to home which are both pretty old, and that is what my entire project is about.” Tori unexpectedly became passionate for the art of photography in high school, when she chose the class as a school elective.

Next up for these talented artists is Maeve Burke, a photographer who focused her collection on abandonment. Fear of What the Past Left Behind was inspired by different abandoned buildings, which immediately created the mysterious “what if” thought of possibly finding something inside these buildings that was left behind. Her favorite piece is “Untitled #8.” She further explained, “It actually scares me, which is why it’s my favorite.” The mysterious nature of her photographs was also inspired by her love of horror films, and she hopes to “creep” the viewer out with her photographs. She impressively created the creepiness by bringing people into abandoned buildings and making them seem inhuman, lurking in the distance.

Last but certainly not least is Kristen Keyes, the only painter out of the group, who used her experience with Art History and painting classes to create a magnificent array of art works. Kristen began her art career as a kid, saying, “I’ve always loved arts and crafts since I was young, but in high school I was given a lot of freedom to use my own ideas to create paintings, and that’s where I really fell in love with it.” Inspired by renowned artist Henri Matisse, Kristen’s Painted Prints collection is evocative of Henri’s bright and bold colors, especially those found in his famous painting entitled “Red Room.” This led her to creating several large and small canvases with the mixture of simple colors and complex patterns.

The Art Show has definitely been a favorite event of the year. The photographs and paintings each told a fascinating story and used combinations of textures, colors, skill and imagination. The advanced techniques that each artist exhibited were portrayed by not only their collections, but by their way of turning a story or idea into a physical image and creation. Everyone should clear their schedule and check out these beautiful works of art and photography before Christmas break begins!