The Tower Gallery in Tisch Library is currently featuring a new type of exhibit: one with pieces donated by students unaffiliated with an official art class or organization. The works currently featured in the gallery outside of the Tower Café are pieces by artists from Tufts’ new art collective, Smaller Fortress. This creative organization was conceived by Emma Turner, a senior majoring in English with minors in Studio Art and Film Studies, and implemented during the fall 2014 semester.
“It was just an idea I had to bring together a network of artists and art-interested, creative people on campus that could connect to each other,” Turner said. “I started asking my friends this past semester to join up … if they were interested.”
To get the ball rolling, Turner contacted acquaintances with broad artistic interests, ranging from sophomore to alumni status, connecting a network of art enthusiasts who are in perspective, age and talents. Some of the artists involved in the collective draw, others paint, take photographs or work with ceramics.
When founding Smaller Fortress, Turner also contacted Anthony Mengelkamp, who runs the exhibits in Tisch Library. Mengelkamp was supportive of the idea, and intrigued.
“They never had a Tufts collective before in Tisch, or just student artwork in general that wasn’t organized by a teacher,” Turner said.
The creativity of its conception and the collaboration with Tisch Library allows Smaller Fortress to bring something completely new to the Tufts community -- artistry unimpeded by grades or homework that still offers the ability to be viewed by a broad audience.
Smaller Fortress is not yet recognized by Tufts, but Turner is hopeful that the group will continue to grow and undergo the process of becoming an official club in future semesters.
“I know how convoluted it is … to get recognized by Tufts,” Turner acknowledged, as she founded the Running Club in her freshman year and later became involved in the Tufts Student Filmmaker’s Association during its process of becoming an official member of the extracurricular community.
While Smaller Fortress is not yet recognized, the collective meets on a regular basis. These gatherings serve as a forum for student artists to touch base on their current activities and intentions.
“We talk about future projects, what we’ve been working on and our goals.” Turner said of the makeup of a typical meeting. The senior’s own goals are a bit ambitious, as she wishes to have the works of Tufts artists made known to the broader public.
“I’d love to have another show … before graduation,” Turner said, mentioning her gallery contacts in the Boston area. If possible, she wishes to have an exhibit off-campus featuring the works of Smaller Fortress and any Tufts students who wish to participate.
But Turner intends for Smaller Fortress to be more than just a place for artists to gather and network. She wants it to also be a safe space for students to collaborate, discuss future goals and support each other’s efforts.An important aspect of the group is the way in which it encourages creativity outside of the classroom.
“It’s hard sometimes when you are in art classes and making art for those art classes and never … for yourself or for a general concept.” Turner said, adding that she hoped students will use Smaller Fortress as a resource, with exhibits designed to give students an opportunity to work in different and creative ways.
The theme of the exhibit at Tower Gallery is “Conception,” a topic which Turner believes was broad enough to give her peers the room to think creatively and donate diverse pieces of artwork.
“‘Conception’ is a great theme because it can be so wide. It can be literally everything and it can be such a specific thing as … birth.”
Turner’s own contribution to the exhibit is a broken, upturned ceramic bowl with a splotch of glaze in the center.While seemingly simplistic, this piece encompasses the concept of conception itself, as Turner presented the piece so that it looks like a sperm fertilizing an egg. Her bowl is surrounded by photographs, drawings and other various different works which capture the theme of conception while offering a unique point of view from each artist. Presenting uninhibited expression is a crucial aspect of Smaller Fortress’s mission, and the current exhibit in Tower Gallery succeeds in showcasing the talents of different artistic students.
“Conception” will be in the Tower Gallery in Tisch Library until March 13. If any student wishes to become involved in the Smaller Fortress art collective, they may contact Emma Turner at emma.turner@tufts.edu.
