Welcome to the Lukacs Gallery
Location: Loyola Hall, Lower Level
Studio Art Program
Department of Visual and Performing Arts
The Lukacs Gallery is one of 3 exhibition spaces in the Studio Art Program dedicated to the installation of student work at Fairfield University. The gallery features group and solo exhibitions by studio art majors, minors, and undergraduates enrolled in classes in the program.
In preparation for the installation of exhibitions, students learn through first hand practice how to select, organize, and plan pieces for an exhibition. The gallery also functions as a space where class installations (both 2D and 3D) evolve, and where students can develop a piece over a period of time.
Upon review, the gallery occasionally hosts an exhibit by working professional artists to serve as a pedagogical tool for students. Professors and visiting artists can hold class critiques in this gallery/viewing space during the semester.
Professors in the Studio Art program organize group exhibitions of works produced in their classes. Studio Art majors and minors entering their junior and senior years at Fairfield may apply with current images of their work to be considered for a solo exhibition. The procedure is that students submit works to the current full-time faculty and Program Director. A student may also be recommended by the Studio Art Professor s/he is studying with at Fairfield to have a solo show or to be included in a group exhibition.
The gallery offers students a space to try out new ideas and gain experience with an emphasis on learning how to conceptualize and visually organize a working exhibition from start to finish. Decisions about titles, numbering, lighting, and installation help to introduce some of the practical and technical aspects of exhibiting. Students are asked to think conceptually about the dynamics of the space as a whole and as it relates to their work.
The Studio Art program is designed to give students an integrated learning experience through the practice of creating works of art to then exhibiting their pieces. Students can work closely with a faculty mentor while some exhibitions are more individually directed. The Studio Art Program's Studio Manager assists in the preparation of group and solo shows by organizing the facilities to make sure that the gallery is ready for new exhibitions.
Each year, the Studio Art Program selects one Studio Art major to work in the program as a Gallery Associate. Through the process of assisting with the preparation and scheduling of the shows, this student learns about the practical aspects of installing and planning for exhibitions. Students may apply for this position in the early spring of their junior year.