Creating art is hard, and curating many artists’ works into a cohesive whole can be an even greater challenge. That is the task put upon Drury’s arts administration majors.

In the fall semester, arts administration seniors help Rebecca Miller, the director of Drury’s arts admin program, operate the Drury On C-Street Gallery. The Drury-owned gallery, located on historic Commercial Street, is a place for students to experience running an art gallery.

In this time, students become accustomed to the needs of each showcase and familiarize themselves with the space and ways of managing it. At the same time, students begin to develop their own concepts for the gallery. This experience is their senior seminar, which is meant to prepare them for a job in arts administration after graduation.

Starting today, March 1, senior student Sarah Massey’s gallery titled “Artistry of Astronomy” will be open to the public.

Massey told The Mirror, “I’ve always been interested in the stars and astronomy… so it was a matter of combining what I know – art – with my interests.”

The gallery features artists from across the nation. Some art has come right out of Springfield, while others have been submitted from as far as New York City and Atlanta. All types of art – from surrealist splatter paint to photorealistic portraits of the planets – will be featured.

Massey spoke about the difficulty of finding work that fit her theme. “I have to derive my own meaning [from the piece] while still keeping it in the context the artist created it in.”

An arts administration student must “wear a lot of different hats,” as Massey put it. A curator of an art gallery must think like an artist, combining different styles and views into a unified showcase. At the same time, they also have to think like a curator, rejecting submissions or cutting pieces that do not flow with the rest of the pieces. They must also help the artists, providing reassurance when they are nervous about the quality of their work or how well it will be received by an audience.

Massey’s showcase, “Artistry of Astronomy,” runs from March 1 to March 29. Today, the gallery will be open from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m., and is open on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hours vary on the weekends.

The gallery is free, and today is First Friday Art Walk, so be sure to go check out some fantastic art and support Sarah Massey’s senior project!

Written by Jacob Maher.