Unusual Hybrids and Curiosity Cabinets
Nasteha Abdullahi | Alara Chester | Mari Clouthier
Emily Collins | Rosalind Downey | Jennifer Fenty
Jaxxon Koethler | Summer Moline
Brooklyn Novakovski | Kurt Protacio | Jp Swanson
Meng Zhang | Lydia Zhou
April 13 - April 17, 2026
Gordon Snelgrove Gallery
Professor Mary Longman and Todd Lyons
Exhibition: April 13 - April 17, 2026
Opening Reception: Monday, April 13, 7 - 6 Pm
Sculpture 242 introduces students to woodworking and mixed-media practices through the development of both technical and conceptual skills. Students gain hands-on experience with woodshop machinery, tools, carving, construction, assemblage, and finishing techniques, while also exploring design principles and the development of concept-driven work.
This exhibition features two projects. For the Curiosity Cabinets, students either constructed cabinets from scratch or refurbished existing ones using professional joinery and finishing methods. They then arranged collected objects to create compositions that suggest narrative or poetic meaning. Through thoughtful placement and surface treatment, each cabinet achieves a sense of visual unity while inviting viewer exploration.
The Unusual Hybrids project explores transformation and imagination through the combination of disparate materials. Using refurbished items, found objects, and natural elements—such as antlers, skulls, stones, and branches—students created hybridized figures that challenge expectations. Techniques included molds and casting, clay construction, and papier mâché, alongside other experimental processes. The resulting sculptures embrace the preternatural, merging materials and ideas into forms that are at once strange, compelling, and visually engaging.
