Bridging continents through creativity, Slippery Rock University celebrates the power of art to build international cultural connections with Japan. SRU and Saga University continued their longstanding partnership of cultural immersion with an art exhibit titled “Drawing: Endlessly Fascinating, not an End Result” featuring art created by students at each institution.
An opening reception was held Sept. 15 at SRU’s Martha Gault Art Gallery, featuring more than a dozen students from Saga University in Saga City, Japan, and remarks from Saga professors Shinichi Hanada and Toshiaki Tomita.
The exhibition from Sept. 2-25 emphasizes drawing as a universal language and foundation for all art forms. The curation process included collaboration between faculty at SRU and Saga University dating back to last spring.
Works from SRU students were curated by Theresa Antonellis, director of the Martha Gault Art Gallery, and Katherine Mickle, professor of art, and are displayed until Sept. 25. Works from Saga University students were curated by professors Hanada and Tomita and were displayed until Sept. 18.
“Drawing underlines all the different mediums of art,” Antonelli said. “No matter where you’re from, art is a universal language that anyone can understand.”
Tomita, a painter and contemporary artist, challenged students to depict the creative process rather than focusing on achieving standard aesthetic beauty.
“I tried to focus on the magic and mystery of art creation rather than the end result,” Tomita said. “As teachers, we supported the students’ journey and challenged them to go deeper within themselves.”
The collaboration builds on more than a decade of exchanges between SRU and Saga University, including an annual SRU study-abroad program to Saga each May. Tomita hopes the exhibition will inspire dialogue of shared challenges and industrial history between the Saga Prefecture in Japan and the Greater Pittsburgh Area.
“This was just the beginning of the conversation and was just one of infinite ideas we have for collaboration,” Tomita said. “I believe some of my students reached deep within themselves for this work, and I am excited to see how the students from Slippery Rock continue to respond.”
The Martha Gault Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the Maltby Center at 108 Maltby Ave., which is open Mondays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. More information about the Martha Gault Art Gallery is available on the gallery’s webpage.
