Students entering the atrium area of Booth Library today may notice a new display.

This is a project called “Re-visioning Education” that was completed by Eastern students in the Painting III class.

Chris Kahler, a professor in Art Department, had his class create a project to coincide with the library’s “Teachers Tame the Prairie” education exhibit.

Sarah Gillespie, a senior art major, said students in the class were given basic criteria to follow when creating their paintings.

“Our theme was fairly broad and encompassed anything from memories from our own education to the history of education at Eastern Illinois University,” she said.

Eight students participated in the project as a requirement for the class. Kahler said the class was not receptive to the idea initially, but they soon changed their minds.

“At first they resisted,” he said. “It seemed too difficult of a task since the painting was going to reflect memories or ideas about education from the student’s perspective. I sold them on the idea that is a good experience on how public or private commissions work in the real world.”

Klent Smith, an art major, said he was glad to participate in the project.

“The exhibit (allowed) me to grow as an artist,” he said. “(It provided) me with much needed practice.”

The students have been working on the project for quite some time.

“(The) students spent the past four weeks researching and painting their individual idea,” Kahler said.

Although the project was time consuming, Gillespie said she still enjoyed it.

“Occasionally paintings suck you in and are all engrossing or engaging,” Gillespie said. “This particular (project) happened to be one of those.”

Students took many different paths with their paintings. One student depicted a teacher and a young student with an old white schoolhouse in the background.

Others chose to represent abstracted childhood memories of education or memories they are currently experiencing.

Kahler said a sure-fire crowd pleaser will be a modern interpretation of Abraham Lincoln.

“The painting is a black-and-white depiction of (Lincoln) listening to his iPod with a Mac laptop on his lap,” he said.

Kahler said he is impressed with the students’ work and thinks the exhibit will go over well.

“I think it’s a great show,” he said. “I am very impressed with the diversity of ideas. It is more of an opportunity for people to see that paintings are just another form of visual communication and just as relevant in terms of discussion as written words.”

Artist Sarah Olson, a senior art major, said she wants the exhibit to have a positive impact on people.

“Hopefully they’re able to get a view at how students used to learn, how history has shaped our education and how we’re still learning today,” she said.

The exhibit will be available for viewing until early December.

Sara Hall can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected].