Here and There

Student art exhibit urges saving WMU's East Campus
By Linda Nunnelly | Kalamazoo Gazette
September 29, 2008, 11:32AM

KALAMAZOO -- His may not be a household name, but you know his artwork if you've ever driven near the intersection of Kalamazoo's Howard Street and Michigan Avenue.

Nicholas Fugedi painted the large, somber mural at the strip mall on the corner there that depicts college students, heads bowed, using their iPods and cell phones and smoking cigarettes.

The intentional message of the yearlong, commissioned piece is to show how a lack of communication affects society.

Now Fugedi, a Western Michigan University senior majoring in art education and painting, is again using art to speak out.

This time, he's urging the preservation of the university's historic East Campus, whose main buildings -- East Hall, North Hall, West Hall and the old speech and hearing center -- have gradually been taken off-line over the years. Fugedi hopes to make his point through a five-day exhibit opening today of art made from items taken from East Hall on East Campus, which is WMU's first building.

Fugedi used objects like old desks and garbage cans in his work.


Click to enlarge."It's about conserving East Hall. It's a super-important building. That's where Western started and we're just letting it sit there," said Fugedi, whose artwork also will touch on political, social and religious issues, as well as the upcoming election and the current economic bailout.

The show continues through Friday in the DeVries Student Art Gallery in WMU's Richmond Center for Visual Arts.

Fugedi said this exhibit differs from his mural displayed at the Campus Pointe Mall, near the WMU campus.

"It's in a different style than the mural; it's styled more like graffiti artists. That was the inspiration," Fugedi said.

The "Here and There" exhibit also includes work from Matthew Gunn, whose work Fugedi said fits nicely with his own. Gunn used found objects, such as furniture, to form abstract pieces.

A closing reception will be held at DeVries from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, and it is open to the public. Both artists will be there to answer questions. Refreshments will be served.

WMU recently announced the formation of a task force to find a developer with the funds and a plan to revitalize East Campus.

Currently, the site has limited usage, and namely serves as home to the university's archives and regional history collections in East Hall.