Faculty exhibition delights

Art lovers from GRU and throughout the community, including President Brooks Keel, packed the Mary S. Byrd Gallery of Art on the Summerville Campus last Thursday to experience the color and creativity of the annual Art Faculty Exhibition.

The exhibition, which included a scholarship presentation by gallery namesake Mary Byrd, followed a talk by faculty members Kristin Casaletto, Brian Rust, Scott Thorp and Janice Williams Whiting.

Drawing considerable attention, and not just because of the artist’s illuminated skirt and golden stockings, was a piece by Casaletto, who assembled her body weight in Twinkies.

A commentary on minimalist sculpture that echoed both pyramids and the gold bars at Fort Knox, Casaletto had the good fortune of starting the piece just before Hostess declared bankruptcy.

“The bankruptcy of an American icon,” she said. “I thought, ‘That’s even better.’”

Having amassed more than 1,000 Twinkies at the height of the nationwide run on the cream-filled cakes, she found herself fielding calls from interested fans hoping to buy up part of her supply. Rather than selling them – or eating them herself – Casaletto shellacked them instead.

The show continues until September 17.