Carter Combs, Reporter
The Shepherd University Visual Arts Collective (VAC) hosted its biannual Pretentious Night on Oct. 2 in the Center for Contemporary Arts’ Drawing Studio.
This event is a staple for students in the VAC, providing an opportunity to let loose and not worry about how their art is perceived, while also poking fun at the pretentiousness that plagues the art world.
Students brought purposefully bad or ironic pieces of art, displaying them on a gallery wall as though they were genuine works. The pieces are covered by paper and dramatically unveiled one by one throughout the evening.
The students delivered short, charmingly awkward and irony-laden presentations on their works. “Some speak of God, others speak of heaven,” one student said while presenting his work.
Students were also encouraged to dress pretentiously, with some staying in character throughout the night. Ironic and pretentious conversations are held on topics such as humanity and art politics, as students wait in anticipation to see the pieces unveiled.
This semester’s Pretentious Night featured works across varying media, such as paintings on canvas, doodles on paper, multi-act performance pieces, and a beautiful wedding ceremony for a Furby and a Labubu.
The purpose of Pretentious Night is, “first and foremost, to have fun and make something silly,” VAC President, Mia Bellacosa, explained. “In most of our classes, we’re working on these serious [pieces] for academia and potential careers.” Pretentious Night is a chance for students to make something purely out of impulse and irony.
While the event is geared toward art students, it is a great time for students of all majors and interests.
“It was a really nice way to unwind and have a laugh,” Jamie, a computer science student, said, “especially during this stressful time in the semester.” Pretentious Night is often held the week before midterms, when art students are stressing about their artworks being critiqued and graded, but as Jamie mentioned, it serves as a gentle reminder for all students to not take themselves so seriously.
The Visual Arts Collective is a student-run organization for the arts, with a mission to support student artists and engage those interested in the arts. It is open to students of all majors, and VAC meetings and events are open to all Shepherd University students.
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