Students, family members and friends gathered together to admire various pieces of artwork made by students at The Unfamous Salon.
The Unfamous Salon was a student exhibition that was showcased Oct. 5 to Oct. 14 on the fourth floor in the student gallery of Klapper Hall. It was a multi-platform style attempting to bring the confluences of talent and thinking that would help bring modernism in literature into art.
One of the exhibit’s purposes was to support local artists and to expand culture within the Queens College community. More than 30 students from different majors shared their common interest in art by displaying their work in the exhibition.
Michele Shakhmurov, a senior biology major and studio art minor, coordinated the event and was inspired by Gertrude Stein’s “The Stein Salon.” Myleen Toro, senior art major, and Jean-Paul Florez, senior political science major, coordinated the event as well.
“We started doing shows outside of campus on our own then we slowly got the idea of slowly of bringing it to school because that’s where everyone is- musicians, artists, writers,” Shakhmurov said. “There aren’t any clubs on campus that encompass all of those categories as a whole, which is what we are trying to do here. We are trying to bring back the spark that died in art. Not many people go out for art; some people came to our event and expected a party. It feels good knowing that people still show interest and support artists.”
Dionisi Filpo, a senior biology education major, and artist, mentioned how the exhibit impacted him as not only an artist but as a person.
“Originally, my four paintings that are hung up were for a course I had taken. I instantly fell in love with the pieces and so did my professor. However, little did she know that was my first time painting on a canvas. That encouragement made me want to be more involved with art,” he said.
Art lovers wandered through the gallery admiring each piece of work and the meanings behind them. Works of art covered the walls as well and told stories from the artists.
Food and beverages were provided, along with music to contribute to the ambiance.
Philip Fernandez, a senior French and media studies major, expressed how glad he was that he attended the event.
“I think it’s great that students are doing this. I came to support two of my friends and I can’t even begin to express how proud I am of them,” he said.
Marcela Cardona, a junior at Baruch College, said she was extremely impressed with the talent of the students.
“This was my first time attending a Queens College event and to say I am impressed is an understatement. The amount of talent that these students have is incredible. I am a common museumgoer so this was something very pleasurable for me,” Cardona said.
“The thing about painting and artwork, in general, is that you have to keep working because it is all about the layers and the subtle detail,” Filpo said. I’m really glad I was able to participate in an event like this. This event helped me realize to become more involved.”