They sit at almost every corner on campus and represent some of the best work of The University of Memphis art department. From a church steeple joined to a trailer, to three stacks of pallets, many displays have left U of M students puzzled.
"If people think a bunch of pallets is art, I know a warehouse they could check out that would blow their mind," said political science major Brad Weaver. "I wasn't even aware that these pallets were an art exhibit."
Beauty is, however, in the eyes of the beholder as The U of M art department has made displaying works of art by students a key part of the curriculum.
"It is important to get the work out of the studio," said art professor Greely Myatt. "It is important structurally to see what happens to the scale of a piece and seeing size relationships."
These outdoor exhibits not only allow art students to see their work in open space, but it also makes it possible for students to experiment with their work.
"If you're a chemistry or biology student, you experiment in a laboratory," said sculpture professor Jeff Mickey. "Art students are getting to experiment in outdoor spaces."
Whether such experiments are pleasing to the eyes of students is another question, however.
"Random would definitely describe a lot of the art work around here," said biology major Michael Mentz. "I don't really like the art displays."
For public relations major Tammy Oppenhuizen, some pieces displayed around The U of M are comedic.
"I like some of the art on campus but some things just make you laugh."
Myatt said that for a piece to be selected for the outdoors, it must be safe and appropriate for outdoor viewing.
"We obviously can't display 12 foot penises," Myatt said. Concerns over the length some objects have displayed have caused some to question the selection process.
Arts department secretary Belinda Patterson said The University used to leave decisions on displaying pieces up to a committee, but the current process has left many exhibits displayed far too long.
"There is a piece in Jones Hall that has been on display forever by a student who has graduated," Patterson said. "We don't want things sitting out on the yard that could endanger people and sometimes people are just tired of looking at the same thing everyday."
Mickey said the current process is for professors to select some of the best works presented in class by students.
"It is generally up to the instructor," Mickey said. "There is no real guidelines but we try and rotate them quite often."
The art department has also tried to move pieces that have been on display for too long, but have been unable to because of construction.The display that sits between the McWherter Library and the engineering and music buildings has not been moved because of a new drainage construction in the area Myatt said.
"It should be down before the end of the summer," Myatt said. Though some students may be unable to appreciate the compression and gravity displayed in graduate student Virginia Overton's pallet exhibit outside the Meeman Journalism building, beauty is not necessarily the point.
"If a piece is successful, it makes people think," Mickey said.
