The works of five Macalester students and alumni are now on display at a local venue for contemporary art. The Soap Factory is currently housing an exhibition entitled “Box Fresh,” a juried show of Minnesota student art.

The Soap Factory is hosting this group exhibition of over 50 current students and graduate’s art work from the University of Minnesota, the College of Visual Arts, the Minnesota College of Art and Design, St. Olaf and Macalester as part of the Mid American College Art Association Conference.

Included in the exhibition are works by Macalester students Sarah Bauman '06, Natalie Ross '05, Kate Todd-Thompson '07, Katherine Montgomery '04 and Tiffany Kramer '04.

Students were selected to exhibit in the show based on slides of their work that were submitted to a committee. Of over 100 submissions that were received, 54 artists are showcased in the exhibit.

Todd-Thompson said that she had made her piece for the “vessel project” in Handbuilding I last year.

“Our assignment was to show ‘containment’ but we weren’t allowed to make anything with a flat bottom,” Todd-Thompson said. “My piece is kind of a chubby vase-like thing that sits, tipped to the side, on two half-circle feet. My favorite part was glazing because I think that the lumpiness gives it character. In the end, I thought the vessel looked like a dog begging for something, so I named the sculpture ‘Barking.’ Art is best when it has personality.”

Bauman said that she was pleased with the way her selection, a fibers piece made of really thin white-painted sticks tied into pods that open up in a grid, looked in the show.

“The show was pretty cool and laid back,” Bauman said. “It is actually in an old soap factory, so it’s a pretty interesting venue that isn’t pretentious.”

Ross agreed that the show was very interesting, and commented that the artworks varied greatly in type and quality.

“I was so surprised to see the number and variety of people there,” she said. “It was really great and, in the atmosphere, I felt very honored to have a piece of art in the show.”

The show’s opening on Sept. 11 was a big success. Ross described it as unreal.

“It was especially unreal for me because a lot of my friends were there as well as almost my entire extended family,” Ross said. “I didn't really know how to talk about my art to such a cacophony of

people, and avoided the questions of ‘what does it mean’ directed

toward my piece as much as possible.”

Ben Heywood, executive director of The Soap Factory, said that he was very pleased with the exhibit.

“The quality of student work and teaching is very high in the Twin Cities area,” Heywood said. “The standard is high.”

This event, which corresponds with the Mid American College Art Association Conference that will take place in early October, is one of the largest events for the Soap Factory and its last show of the year.

Heywood said that the event is an important learning process for artists who are learning how to install and display their work. He believes that supporting young artists is extremely important in the development of their future careers.

Coinciding with the exhibit, the Soap Factory will host a talking image connection reading on Oct. 16 at 7:30 and a dance performance (“Heat and Life by Emily Johnson”) Oct. 28-30.

The Soap Factory is located at 2nd St. SE between 5th Ave. and 6th Ave. SE in Minneapolis. The show runs through Oct. 24. The gallery is open Thurs. and Fri. from 2-8 p.m. and Sat. and Sun. from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free.