Film, video and photography are diverse artistic mediums with a wide range of possibilities in terms of creativity and vision. To demonstrate this, a group of Grand Valley State University art students has curated an exhibition featuring a collection of coursework from GVSU film, video and photography students.

The exhibit, titled “Beyond the Frame,” features student-made work ranging from landscape photography to animation. A wide array of visual themes are presented, highlighting both the talent of GVSU film, video and photography students, and the rewarding nature of the university’s art programs. 

The exhibit was curated by students Dan Schrader and Rachel Britton, both of whom worked hard to ensure that the exhibit featured a wide variety of artistic talent and concepts. Schrader expressed that working on the exhibit was both rewarding and eye-opening.

“I’ve entered into other exhibitions before, but I’ve never been behind the scenes,” Schrader said. “So, it was nice to see what goes on and understand that it’s a lot more work than most think it is.”

Britton expressed that setting up the exhibition was rewarding as well, stating that the experience of organizing it was very valuable. 

“It’s just nice being able to practice the organization aspect of putting on an exhibit,” Britton said. “You have a lot of time, a lot of deadlines. You have to hang up work; you have to think about food. It’s nice to practice this kind of organization stuff.”

Both Schrader and Britton shared their thoughts on how exhibitions like “Beyond the Frame” can help art students transition from college to the professional world, both as artists and employees.

“I think as a student it’s important to be able to have an opportunity to get your work out,” Schrader said. “With photography, you do a senior thesis exhibition like this, … and that is great for opportunities for internships and stuff like that in the real world.”

“The whole point of this exhibit was to showcase the film, video and photography program,” Britton said. “When you make work and exhibit it more often than other students, that shows initiative, so it’s a good resume builder.”

Exhibits like these not only display the talent of fellow students, but they demonstrate a level of drive and hard work that other students could learn from. 

“I think it’s a good opportunity to see something different,” Schrader said. “Seeing somebody do something one way in a different medium (can) help you in your medium. You can draw inspiration from other people (through this exhibit).” 

Britton also believes that exhibits like “Beyond the Frame” are great sources of inspiration for art students. They went on to state that submitting work and talking with other artists is very helpful for success in the art world.  

“What helped me with a lot of my success so far was just submitting to everything I could,” Britton said. “I would say take advantage of opportunities and network with people.”

“Beyond the Frame” will be exhibited in the Padnos Student Gallery in the Calder Art Center from now until Thursday, Feb. 15.