National art exhibition at Xavier gallery

Joe Karlovec raised his voice just above the din of the crowd
to explain his situation: "It's all about the art, but you gotta have a day job." The young, relaxed artist working out of Columbus and Dayton was one of many chosen artists in attendance last Friday, Aug. 24, for the opening of "Art at the X," a national juried art competition that Xavier's Department of Art has held for the past five years. The exhibition features 35
pieces from artists throughout the United States.
The opening drew a crowd of both artists and viewers to see the wide variety of selected pieces. The exhibition features paintings, textiles, sculpture, photography and a number of pieces that transcend any single medium. The awards were announced at 7 p.m. Three awards of excellence were named in addition to the first place prize, which went to Fidelis Buehler for his three-painting set, "Head Fire," "Memorial Day" and "Magic/Man." s the gallery director for The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in Covington, Ky. From 130
entries, he selected only the top 35 for the showing. Although he could not attend, a statement was read on his behalf. He noted that he saw merit in everything submitted. He used technical merit, content and evidence of a message in the work as measures for judgment. He found the finalists' pieces thought-provoking and humorous at times in their juxtaposition in the gallery. Though the atmosphere was light and cordial, the meaning that Seitz was looking for was not lost on
the audience. Many pieces received well-deserved attention,
as well as the persistent and curious interest of the visitors.
Paintings such as "Incubation" forcibly trick the mind as the viewer attempts to find meaning in the abstraction. The threepiece set--"Bad Money," "Blood Money" and "Dirty Money"--raises interesting questions. As three works with such plausibly interchangeable titles, why this particular permutation?
And what is the artist saying by depicting typical food with such decadence as money and silver serving trays? The showing accurately reveals what Seitz hoped to find, as well as the talent of Xavier's own gallery staff. Kitty Uetz, the gallery
director, presented the awards and curated the exhibition. She noted that this exhibition was highly selective. She has worked with up to 100 pieces in the past and this show gave her only 35 pieces to fill the two gallery rooms. There are three more exhibitions this semester. "We like to start right at the beginning of the year" Uetz said. Next semester will feature five or six showings to include senior projects and other Xavier students. The current exhibition will be open until Sept. 21. The Xavier University Art Gallery in the Cohen Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. The next exhibition will open Oct. 6.