Corrugated World

This past weekend I went to see a fantastic exhibit at the equally fantastic new Visual & Performing Arts Center at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, locally known as WestCon.  The college is on two campuses, the older one in downtown Danbury and the newer one on the other side of town.  For years the art department was in cramped quarters on the old campus. This year the new building was opened on the newer campus and it is amazing.

A very small part of the new building.

We were given a tour of the building by one of the art professors. We saw several of the studios, the state of the art photography workshops and darkrooms, and the three performing art theaters. The inaugural exhibit in the gallery showed the work of James Granshow, who make the most incredible sculptures using only corrugated cardboard. 

Part of a larger scene with other birds and precise flowers.

Detail

There were two dancing couples that were about an inch shy of the ceiling, perhaps 12 feet high.

Detail of the feathers on a very large crane.

This larger than life flower pot filled with cardboard flowers was in the building's atrium  foyer.

Colorful fish hanging from the ceiling.

These monkeys on monkey bars filled half the room.

James is also a renowned woodcut artist and there were many of them on the walls around the room.  Unfortunately the room was so crowded that I could only get a couple of pictures.  The detail was astonishing.

At 8 PM we were treated to a jazz concert by several of the music professors in one of the new theaters.  WestCon has a wonderful performing arts program and over the years I have attended several of the plays, musicals, and operas that they have every year.  Many were as good as anything I've seen on Broadway. It will be even more of a treat to see them in these new venues.

The exhibit runs until December 3 and is free to the public.  If you are in the area, check it out and also see this beautiful building.