Fifteen minutes of fame

Students walking by the rear of the Commons on Tuesday saw a new development in cam­pus art: a fifteen minute art show called "Fifteen Minute Parking," in which Roger Wil­liams University students show­cased works they created for their digital media class.

While the art was remarkable, the showcase for the art made the brief show special. All the artwork was showcased in the trunks of students' cars or in the backs of vans. Some student art­ists even utilized their cars' trunks as parts of the artwork itself.

"[My piece] acts as a dif­ferent way to indulge yourself in art within a space," said Matt Galle­rani, a graduate student, whose work consisted of photos, taken by his artistic partner Maxfield Blackledge, displayed on wood­en structures within their van. The experience, Gallerani said, offered a different view of art and showcased the unique na­ture the students' artistry.

Another interesting aspect of the show was the utilization of the fifteen-minute park­ing spaces located behind the Commons. The artists said they found this to be a fun way of making something as seemingly worthless as a parking space into a means of conveying a creative vision. Gallerani also said the showcase was meant to be "in your face. You can't avoid it."

Gallerani's words rang true as many students passing by stopped and remarked on the beauty of the artwork and about how much they enjoyed experiencing the show.

The process of setting up the show was intri­cate, but was ultimately worth it, ac­cording to the artists on hand. The process took the art­ists close to three weeks of planning and creation, all in antici­pation of a twist on the phrase "fif­teen minutes of fame."

For student artist Jill Lalumi­ere, the process was ultimately worth it, "if only to help people look at [art] in a different way," she said.

Indeed, these artists proudly realized that they had made an impression on those in atten­dance as they packed up their cars and caravanned out of the parking spots after their fifteen minutes had expired.