The University of North Florida Galleries provides mid-career artists with opportunities to showcase their work to thousands of visitors, according to Ian Carey, curator of UNF Galleries.
The galleries feature four different art exhibits across the UNF campus and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Each gallery features distinct themes and artists, according to Carey.
“There’s thousands of people who will see their work,” Carey said. “Ideally, you’ll get more press. You’ll get people writing about the exhibitions. And therefore, you’re really kind of looking for mid-career artists. that might have really established their voice and really worked, their work has just become quite brilliant just because of time, effort, and being professional.”
Each gallery features work from various contributors including UNF Alumni, faculty, and artists from across the country. The Lufrano Intercultural Gallery will soon feature work by George Liebert of the Art Institute of Chicago next spring, according to Carey.
“I create programming in that,” Carey said. “I get students to interact with the artists. My students in my curatorial class help to install the exhibitions. And then also, they’ll give artist talks that are open to the public as well, just to give a rounded idea of what the ideas are, rounded ideas of what the artist is trying to say.”
Carey said because contemporary art can be confusing and often alienating, he tasks himself with helping people navigate the field.
“My job is to try to get that [contemporary] to be less [alienating] so that people understand it and really want to gravitate towards it,” Carey said.
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