By Savannah Arlington
USF – The University of South Florida reopened its student gallery at the Marshall Student Center in Tampa for a new exhibition centered around individuality and creativity on Jan. 21.
The Centre Gallery welcomed students back for the first spring exhibition of the year. The “Odds and Ends” exhibition aimed to celebrate the interests and passions of USF undergraduates. Pieces ranged from poems to ceramics and covered the walls of the exhibit hall.
However, the university gallery is not only concerned about entertainment.
“Centre Gallery exhibitions allow students to begin displaying their artwork in a professional setting and allow other students to visit a gallery free of cost on their own campus,” said Rose Knight, the gallery’s art director. “It opens the doors for many of our students to become involved in the arts community.”
Students have the opportunity to build their artistic reputation by participating in the on-campus gallery. Creatives can apply to six themes during the spring semester of 2025. Applications are open to all undergraduate students at the university.
Artist Gwyneth Schumacher had five paintings and one ceramic piece displayed at the “Odds and Ends” exhibition. This was Schumacher’s first time having this many pieces up at the Centre Gallery.
“I’ve been told from professors and my peers that the more galleries a piece is in the more its value goes up,” said Schumacher.
According to the Center for Student Involvement at USF, the Centre Gallery is one of the only non-profit and student-run galleries in the state. Enrolled students even have the opportunity to serve as directors and gallery interns. The gallery was established in 1984, roughly forty years after the university was first founded.
Program coordinators at the center supervise students throughout the curation and installation process to help with the day-to-day operations of the gallery.
“It’s inspiring to see their unique perspectives come to life and have the opportunity to help showcase their work, providing them with a platform to share their talents and stories with the community,” said program coordinator Kaylee Ayres.