By Austin Leonard
The Spring Showcase, hosted by the DMAD (Digital Media Art and Design) program, is an annual juried exhibition that allows students to try out new techniques or subject matter outside the constraints of the assignments for classes. The lack of restrictions allows students to explore new mediums or combine them to create a unique approach. The showcase is competitive in that there is a limit to how many pieces of work can be included in the show. The limit is set at 20 pieces, meaning that not all the work submitted can be exhibited. This is the second year that the showcase has been online due to Covid-19. Before the pandemic, the showcase exhibition took place in person where students printed their work, framed them, and set them up for viewing in the Widener TV Lounge in Maclellan Hall.
This year’s guest judge for the showcase was a Digital Media Art & Design program alumna, Christina Thomas O’Neal, who gave a unique perspective as someone who has been a part of the showcase herself. While at King she had work shown in the Spring Showcase a total of three times. She noted how much enjoyed working on her pieces for the showcase as it allowed her to experiment and try techniques that she had not used before.
The switch to online due to Covid restrictions made it impossible for people to speak to the creators of the work in person or view the work how it might have meant to be viewed. However, being online has opened the artwork to many people across the world who may have been unable to attend in person, as well as introducing more variety in the work and allowing for things like the video to also be chosen. Obviously not being able to view work in person and speak to its creator can be unfortunate, but at the same time, being online makes the exhibition accessible to a larger, broader audience and in an age of technology and the internet, which can be useful.
If you missed the opening of the exhibition, you could still view the work that was included in the showcase here.
You can also find work from Spring Showcase from the previous year here.
