Notice Board

Mapping the Body Exhibition
March 20 - 30, 2017
Dr. Foster James Penny Building (324 - 5 St. S.)

Opening reception: 7 pm, March 20   

Curators: Jorge Sandoval (University of Lethbridge), Brenda Brandley (Lethbridge College)

Exploring contemporary perspectives on the body, Mapping the Body, a collaborative exhibition between the University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College, opens at the Dr. Foster James Penny Building on Monday, March 20 with a reception at 7 pm.

The University of Lethbridge Drama Department in partnership with Lethbridge College’s Fashion Design and Sustainable Production program present art work by students and alumni that reflect on the interaction of dress and the body. The exhibition consists of a variety of works including sculptural interpretations of the theme, garments and textiles, two-dimensional prints, and technological pieces.

“Although seemingly highly creative fields, both fashion and theatre contain a great deal of restraint when designing,” explains Brenda Brandley, Lethbridge College instructor and co-curator of the exhibition. “Students are rarely given the chance to be completely free to create something entirely artistic. This exhibition gives students that opportunity; the boundaries are loosely defined so the artistic soul can have an outlet.”

Contributors were challenged to use a multidisciplinary perspective to explore and reflect upon the body through a variety of mediums, but especially, a consideration of ways to immerse in artistic practice and critical thinking about dress and the body, explains Jorge Sandoval, Drama faculty and co-curator.

Sandoval muses, “What are clothes? How can clothes define the body? How do we present, represent and misrepresent our bodies on social media? How can dress inspire us to create objects of beauty?”

This collaborative exhibition aims to push students’ technical abilities and elevate them to artistic heights. The results of that challenge are on display in Mapping the Body, which runs March 20 through March 30 in the Penny Gallery. The exhibition is open to the public Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm.

The University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College offer a two-plus-two transfer agreement where students take their first two years at the College in the Fashion Design and Sustainable Production program and then earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts – Dramatic Arts degree after two more years of study at the University.

“Ventures such as this exhibition provide stepping stones for students to feel more comfortable with the two institutions and helps increase awareness of this new opportunity,” says Sandoval.

“We hope this is the first of many more collaborative events,” continues Brandley. “It gives the students the opportunity to interact with other artistically inclined people, which is a wonderful networking opportunity.”