The Slippery Rock University Art Society’s “‘Totally Not’ a Furby Show” took place from Sept. 12 to Sept. 16 in the Strain Safety Building. The show presented paintings, sculptures, photos and more, each with a Furby as its subject.
Some pieces highlighted different cultural icons and themes, such as a painting that combined a Furby with the likeness of Hatsune Miku, a popular Japanese singer. Another included a larger Furby ripping the ear off another, smaller Furby with its teeth. In yet another piece, a student used two canvases to portray a Furby version of the yin-yang symbol.
Along with providing the art, students in Art Society also propose the gallery themes themselves.
“It all started as an inside joke and now it’s become a reality,” said Maialen Petrissans, club secretary and senior.
“My freshman year, I took a ceramics class for the first time ever,” Petrissans said. “For our final, the teacher said we could submit anything we wanted.”
She decided to think outside the box and produce a ceramic version of a long Furby, which had its own space in the gallery.
“I just kept the bit going and each ceramics class I made another [Furby-related] project,” she said.
The Art Society will hold several galleries throughout the school year. Marian Grata, club president and senior, emphasized that the organization is “completely student-run.” The group is not affiliated with the Martha Gault Art Gallery, which often holds art shows on campus.
Grata stated the club is open to all majors.
“Anyone that creates art is welcome to submit proposals and get their work in a gallery,” they said.
Petrissans explained her belief that events like this are important for the art program at SRU.
“It shows off the art department more,” she said. “We’re in our own little area on the side of campus that not many people go to.”
She asserted that having students run their own gallery shows is a great and rare opportunity.
“It allows people to just be creative and fun with it in a way that they normally can’t,” Petrissians said. “When you normally see a gallery, it’s all professional. But you can do whatever you want with art. It’s just a fun experience.”
