In hopes of inspiring people to challenge their perception of the world around them, Tom Carr, Watkins College of Art’s first artist in residence, created an art exhibit titled “In Between.”
“It is underwater, and it is space. It is micro and it is macro. I wanted to do something relating to the infinite,” Carr said.
“In Between” will be free and open to the public Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Leu Art Gallery until Dec. 1.
The exhibit displays the themes of interconnectedness, using seemingly simple concepts such as scale, fragility and opposites.
During his talk, Carr discussed how the pieces and shapes were inspired by different things like birds and fish but could – and should – be interpreted however an individual sees them.
Carr is an artist who is passionate about working with light and shadow to create an environment that allows the mind to wander productively, questioning and finding connections between typically abstract concepts.
He is the first artist to be chosen for the artist in residence position, which is a new role that Belmont’s Watkins College introduced so that art students can interact firsthand with experienced artists.
“We instilled this program with the intention of bringing on a professional practicing artist that would work very closely with students, not only the studio or classroom, but also outside,” said Katie Mitchell, the director of galleries and programming for the Watkins College of Art.
Nina Chounlamountry, an illustration major, has been following Carr’s work since he made an appearance in her 3D Principles class at the beginning of the semester.
Chounlamountry heard about the exhibit and wanted to see it firsthand.
There are many opportunities to experience Carr’s expertise.
He is not only teaching three classes during his residency at Watkins, but he has also organized a mini lecture series, consisting of six different talks on various subjects.
Each talk averages about 12 minutes in length, helping busy college students gain knowledge about art.
Other students feel connected to Carr because of his cultural background and how it influences his art.
“I connect with Tom because he’s from Spain, so I had the opportunity to talk with him in Spanish, which is my first language,” said freshman Fiorella Barrientos, a design communications major.
One of Carr’s students, freshman Lily van Wijk, said that Carr is always willing to help students find their own artistic voices.
“He’ll give feedback and sometimes will tell you to change something but will also tell you to keep in mind your own ideas and not take what he is saying completely as the truth,” said Lily van Wijk. “I asked him what his biggest achievements were, and he said, ‘just being happy with who I am and what I’m doing.’ I think a lot about how I am going to get where I need to be, but he’s just very lighthearted and encourages us to keep going.”
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This article was written by Zoë Prochko