Seventeen Colby College seniors, all studio art majors, have organized the Senior Art Exhibition 2025 at the Joan Dignam Schmaltz Gallery of Art in downtown Waterville, Maine. The exhibition, on view through May 24, features work by four sculptors, two photographers, three painters, five printmakers, and three digital media artists. It is the culmination of a yearlong capstone course that taught students the behind-the-scenes process of mounting an exhibition, including installation, collaboration with museum preparators, and producing a print catalog with artist statements and critical essays.
This article matters because it highlights the often-invisible labor and collaboration required to create an art exhibition, emphasizing that exhibitions themselves are works of art. By focusing on student artists and their hands-on experience with museum professionals, it underscores the educational value of practical curatorial and installation work, and the importance of community engagement through a downtown satellite gallery. The piece also marks the retirement of Professor Gary Green, the capstone coordinator, adding a note of institutional transition.