The stark white walls of UT’s art building welcome students with displays of student-crafted artworks as part of a gallery series called Halls and Walls. Currently, the space houses ‘Introspection,’ an exhibit curated by studio art senior Candace McIntyre. Following three months of planning and curation from McIntyre and other students, the exhibit displays an exploration of bodies and the oversexualization of gender.

“‘Introspection’ is bringing attention … to the contradicting standards of women,” McIntyre said. “It aims to challenge and question the boundaries of societal implication that objectify and categorize the female body as explicity sexual.”

Halls and Walls is a student art project hosted and curated by students and art lecturer Katy McCarthy, and it currently resides in the art building. Currently, McIntyre said she hopes this show will empower viewers to embrace vulnerability and break societal expectations of both beauty and pain.

“I want people to know that it’s okay to be vulnerable and show sides of themselves that wouldn’t normally be considered acceptable,” McIntyre said. “I want to give a voice to those that have experienced trauma and give others the ability to heal.”

Studio art senior Morgan Gage, who contributed artwork to “Introspection,” said she feels love for spaces like Halls and Walls because they offer students a way to connect to an audience through personal creations.

“When you walk through a hallway filled with everyone’s art, you feel connected with the space we’re sharing,” Gage said. “Finding ways to create exhibitions makes art more accessible, instead of thinking we have to wait for these prime opportunities and spaces.” 

Art education sophomore Lusia Nnam helped bring “Introspection” to life and said having this artwork displayed not only benefits students like themself but also people outside of the College of Fine Arts who have less exposure to art.

“It’s a wonderful thing for us to display the work we create,” Nnam said. “Incoming students can look at the work of their older peers, and it gives an opportunity to see what UT students are up to.”

Gage said the opportunity to peruse other student-produced work brings the College of Fine Arts community together, affirming students’ work inside and outside the classroom.

“Seeing other people’s works gets me out of my head and connects with other students I wouldn’t have known otherwise,” Gage said. “It’s confirming to see people’s art in a public space and exciting to know that my works matter outside of my own head.”

This sense of community is what Nnam said they believe to be an important part of Halls and Walls and “Introspection,” since art can connect people in a more interpersonal way.

“This show further ties you into your community, because you’re able to know the people around you and know what is coming from your community,” Nnam said. “I think that if we’re not displaying our work, then we don’t really know each other.” 

McIntyre said she feels gratitude for Halls and Walls and “Introspection” because of the way it connected her to the College of Fine Arts community and provided a positive start to her final year at UT.

“I’m honored to have this opportunity to curate this show because I feel like I built a stronger connection with those around me, and it was a positive thing for us to get back into the semester,” McIntyre said. “What better way to start the semester than to throw a show?”