We are fortunate to attend school in the cultural hub of Cleveland, surrounded by institutions like the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Botanical Gardens and iconic works like Judy’s Hand, the Start sculpture (the Ugly Statue), Spitball, the Keith Haring statue in the lobby of the Kelvin Smith Library and a dishonorable mention in Business Insider’s list of the ugliest buildings in every state, the Peter B. Lewis Building.

However, when you think of art produced by our peers, Cleveland Institute of Art students often come to mind, with events like the Student Holiday Sale two weekends ago, and this Friday’s Antiquity Now: A Contemporary Take on Ancient Processes event from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and frequent Cinematheque shows fresh in our memories.

The artwork produced by Case Western Reserve University students often goes unnoticed, unreasonably so. “We don’t have a very strong focus on art here,” third-year civil engineering and prospective pre-architecture double major Greg Melnyk said. “It’s interesting to see what people are doing outside of STEM classes.”

Melnyk, a two-year show veteran, is one of the 184 students who will showcase their work in the Semester in Review Art Exhibition this Monday, Dec. 9 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the corner of Adelbert Rd. and Murray Hill Rd.

Works will be featured in a variety of media and styles, including ceramics, weaving and textiles, paintings, drawings, architecture, enamel and jewelry, photography, design and mixed media. 

Melnyk, who is currently in “Architecture and City Design I,” having taken three other classes earlier, including “Drawing and Painting I,” “Design in Color I” and a photography course. One of his projects this semester was a case study on the Vila Tugendhat, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

The four-part project involved copying the original plans and elevations of the structure and three original designs based on it, with the same design elements: one mostly open to interpretation, one with the golden ratio utilized and a final redesign of the structure as a townhouse.

“This was a great way to learn to work with different restrictions, or lack thereof,” Melnyk said.

The event provides a great opportunity to see local artists from our very own community, while enjoying a dinner of chili, meatballs, cheese and crackers, cookies and juice.

Intrigued, but you can’t make the reception? The art will be on display all of next week, from Dec. 9 to Dec. 13. Most of these classes will be offered in the spring semester as well.