Artists thrive in LCC’s first-ever student gallery exhibition

By Karina Hartley
Staff Reporter

One of the richest experiences for a budding artist is the opportunity to have their work proudly hung on gallery walls. While the halls of the art building at LCC feature the revolving works of present semesters and past works purchased by the Zimmerman awards, people are less likely to run into these pieces displayed elsewhere. This is set to change, as the art department at LCC prepares to host its first-ever student exhibition that will feature work by art students from the fall 2025 and spring 2026 semesters in a professional off-campus gallery space in Lansing.

This event will involve art students submitting work from the semester to populate the walls of the Michigan Institute for Contemporary Art (MICA) Gallery in Old Town for the public to view. Pulling the event together has been a collective effort of the art department faculty, the art student body and Academic and Arts Outreach Coordinator Melissa Kaplan.

For some students, this will be the first opportunity of its kind. Niki Baker is an art student who will be having her work featured in the upcoming exhibition. She shared her enthusiasm about being in the gallery. “I never displayed my art for the public before,” shared Baker. “I'm really excited to be able to show for the first time and also be a part of the art community at LCC.”

Faculty are also buzzing with excitement over seeing their students’ work displayed. Andrew Elsten, an art professor wrapping up his first semester teaching at LCC, is enthusiastic about being a part of bringing this opportunity to the community. Elsten shared the positivity he has seen blossom from gallery exhibitions. “There's this really cool phenomenon that happens when students get to see their work up on the wall,” said Elsten. He discussed how the atmosphere of the gallery space often contrasts that of the classroom critique. “As soon as the work is framed, as soon as it's up on a gallery wall and it's in a public space, a lot of those fears and trepidations tend to either subside or they get cast to the wayside,” he said.

Elsten believes that this unique experience creates a type of synergy between viewer and artist. “The public is now able to engage with the work in a meaningful way and be honest and raw about it,” he added. Elsten delighted at how this experience sparks pride in students and makes them feel professional.

The students, staff and faculty that are putting in the elbow grease to bring this gallery to fruition are not stopping here; they plan to make this event a yearly endeavor. Susan Hardie, an art professor that has been instructing at LCC for two decades, notes that this will be the first event of its kind that she has seen in her time here. “We need a gallery,” said Hardie. “So my idea is that if we can at least start an exhibition, an annual one, then it would be able to build us towards something that we could actually have on campus.”

Elsten shared why he believed this being an annual event will enrich the lives of art students and the community. “What's remarkable about LCC's student body is how driven they are to get the work done, how skillful they are, and also how few opportunities they've had to get the work out into the world,” said Elsten. He looks forward to the community and student body anticipating this event every year “so that the community realizes that, not only did LCC come to play, but they're going to be a mainstay in their community,” he added.

Students shared the enthusiasm for what this indicates for the future. “I really hope that the art department gets more popular in LCC and that it gains more traction after this,” said Baker. “I’m really excited for if we do this in the future because I think it's a pretty huge step forward, especially with having a gallery for all the local artists.”

The exhibition was open on April 24-26 and will be open again this Friday during the closing reception. That reception will be held on May 1 from 6-8 p.m. Students, staff, families and members of the community are welcome to enjoy the art and refreshments. The art department is excited to have this space to pull in the community and show off the talent and boundless creativity of the rising artists at LCC.