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With interactive light-up pieces, 18-pound rings, crystal-clear cell-phone photography and runaway brides, the opening of Myhren Gallery’s Faculty Triennial show was quite a success.

Every three years the Myhren Gallery puts on a show exhibiting the faculty of the School of Art and Art History’s work. This year, for the first time, the show was also open to adjunct professors.

The exhibit included work from Kevin Curry, Deborah Howard, Sara Gjertson and Roddy MacInnes.

In the 15 current pieces of work shown at the exhibit, there was a wide range of media, styles and concepts. Students, faculty, alumni and the surrounding community came to experience the art.

“Overall, the show had an amazing variety of works and materials. It was neat to see our professors’ personalities through their works,” said sophomore Abbey Holden, who is double-majoring in studio art and art history at DU.

A piece by Kevin Curry, an adjunct professor who teaches Sculpture, 3D Approaches and Concepts, titled “Conjunction,” was very popular.

“I loved Kevin’s piece. I thought it was just the coolest and an aesthetically interesting concept of togetherness and connection. It’s so fun and creative,” said Tasha Schwenne, a sophomore majoring in studio art.  

“Conjunction” is an interactive sculptural piece that aims to connect the audience both through language and physicality.

“I like how Kevin’s piece played off the idea of the importance of relationships and how these relationships bring light into our lives,” said Holden.

“Kevin’s artwork actually interacts with people. I also really enjoyed Deborah’s because she is creative and I love how she turned patterns into paintings,” said sophomore studio art major Ting Lin.

Deborah Howard, an associate professor of drawing and head of the painting department at DU, displayed four of her shoe installations. Seeing shoes as both “personal and universal,” she believes shoes communicate a lot about a person, giving insite into the style and culture of the time.

Sarah Gjertson, associate professor in studio art, also believes items can communicate about and effect a person. Her piece, “Relics,” was an interactive display of 18-pound solid bronze rings, allowing the audience to experience thoughts, associations and memories directly. Gjertson also showed a film titled “Running Bride,” which she herself acted in and filmed on a Super 8 camera.

Gjertson’s black-and-white film was not the only black-and-white display at the exhibition. Roddy MacInnes, associate professor of photography, exhibited an exquisite display of photographs he took on his iPhone.

“As a photography student, I enjoyed the work from my photography professors. Roddy’s cell phone landscapes are amazing because you wouldn’t think that something like this could be done with just a cell phone,” said senior Rocio Correa, a studio art major with an emphasis in photography.

MacInnes’ photos were titled “Rain Drops,” “Hands” and “Hay Bales.” The black-and-white approach imbues seemingly common and uninteresting subjects with a fresh, new perspective.

MacInnes sees the cell phone as an exciting new medium, often ignored by professional photographers. His work seeks to explore the construction of identity.

With the work of only 15 faculty members displayed, the show was limited by numbers and a small gallery. However, the variety in media was broad.

“The exhibition is a terrific way to experience the aesthetic diversity of art produced by the faculty members of the School of Art and Art History. It clearly demonstrates the wide range of their conceptual approaches to art making, the sophistication and innovation of their technical abilities and variety of the physical media they employ,” said M.E. Warlick, director of the School of Art and Art History.

The show was successful. It showcased the talents and creativity of DU’s art faculty. However, some wished it had been larger.

“I was a little disappointed about the show. I wish it was bigger,” said Lin.

However, overall the show was a hit with the crowd, the gallery filled with people viewing, analyzing and interacting with the art.

“It was inspiring to me as an art student to see the type of work that my professors do. Overall, I think the show was a complete success in terms of the artwork and the actual turnout. I was really glad I made it to the show,” said Correa.

The Faculty Triennial show will be in the Myhren Gallery until March 11. Gallery is open daily from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Sunday.