Collins residents show work

As people gathered in the Education Gallery of the John Waldron Arts Center Friday for an exhibition of student photography, junior Kim Davis was somewhere getting her head shaved.\n"I ended up missing the entire opening because of the head-shaving," Davis said in reference to her work with the Riley Children's Hospital and her newfound baldness. Her hair will be used to make wigs for those who have lost their own hair through chemotherapy.\nThough Davis was not present to show off her photographs, other student photographers from Collins Living-Learning Center were there to display their work for the crowd.\nAs part of a year-long collaboration with professional photographer and Collins Arts Coordinator Yara Clüver, several Collins residents took the opportunity to showcase their work from throughout the year at IU. A gathering of about 30 people looked on and observed students' work as Clüver made her way through the crowd, taking pictures of the opening.\n"Although the students received help from me throughout the year, they largely worked independently amongst themselves," Cluver said, "So it's nice to see all of their hard work take shape here."\nResidents of Collins have a plethora of tools at their disposal when working with photography. Included is a fully equipped dark lab used for film developing and processing. And despite the fact that many of the students showcasing their work Friday used their own cameras, Collins offers both manual and digital still cameras for student use.\nSenior and Collins resident Andrea Hartz, who was among those presenting selections of her work Friday, said a place like Collins is essential to the art lover. \n"When I was looking into places to live, Collins definitely caught my eye because they had a darkroom available for people who have a passion for photography," Hartz said.\nThe black and white photos on display at the John Waldron Arts Center had a range of subject matter. Davis' photos included a shot of the end of a pine tree set against the backdrop of the Jordan River outside the IMU and also both the female and male body under shadow. \nJunior Lori Osting contributed a photograph of several children riding their tricycles, and Hartz showcased a close-up of a hand playing a piano.\n"I love the fact that Collins makes it so easy for residents to get involved in the arts," Davis said, "I can't tell you the number of hours I spent in the dark room working on my photos. And it was great because I could work on my projects at three or four in the morning, where the dark room in the Fine Arts Building closes at midnight."\nThe students' photographs are on display at the John Waldron Arts Center until March 30.