“msu@scenemetrospace” is an annual exhibit that focuses on local talent within the MSU community. With a wide range of paintings, collages and 3-D art on show, MSU students describe their work placed on display.
Deon Foster carefully positioned his Michael Jackson Nintendo Mii avatar sculpture onto the (SCENE) Metrospace stage Friday, the spotlights highlighting its black shirt and shades.
“M.J. to all of us is kind of like a Mii character because we’ll never meet him in reality,” Foster, a studio art master’s student, said. “I thought it would be interesting if he could hang out with us, like go to a disco.”
Foster was one of seven MSU students who participated in the mixed media exhibit, which runs through Feb. 28 and features paintings, collages, 3-D creations and more.
(SCENE) Metrospace, 110 Charles St., kicked off its latest exhibit on Friday called msu@scenemetrospace. Director Tim Lane said the exhibit’s primary purpose is to highlight MSU artists while keeping the mission of (SCENE) Metrospace in mind.
“(We) provide the community with art that’s a little more cutting edge … than some of the other galleries in the area,” Lane said. “There’s a lot of talent going through the art department at MSU and we try to get everybody in at some point or another.”
Funded by the city of East Lansing, Lane said Metrospace’s shows are an outlet for the creative individuals in the community, including musicians, poets and artists.
Studio art senior Erica Birkhold has three paintings in the show that all contain similar elements. Birkhold said the final product is the result of creating something she enjoys looking at and finds interesting.
“For me, (the work) is kind of an expression of a visualization of feelings and emotions that most young females go through,” Birkhold said. “(Each piece) is a lot based on color. There are similar elements in each of the pieces (like) a female, some sort of animal and some sort of nature object.”
To create a Michael Jackson sculpture, Foster said he jotted down a lot of notes until the easiest, weirdest idea came to conception, allowing any bystander to look at the character and become somebody else.
“I’ve been working on M.J. for the majority of last semester,” Foster said. “With a (Mii) character, it allows you to manipulate other characters that could be anything — it allows you to be anything.”
Since becoming director of (SCENE) Metrospace, Lane said he feels more tapped into the art community while promoting students’ work, allowing him to exhibit various pieces.
“It’s energized my life to some extent as it’s exciting to be working with a lot of different, creative people,” Lane said.
“On the downside, I have less time to do my own thing, but that’s the way it goes.”
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