Finalists in the recent “Art of the Mask” project, an annual event for architecture and interior design students at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. (Bottom) Some of the completed designs from the previous year. (Photo provided).
October 25, 2024
SIU Carbondale architecture and interior design students prepare for “Mask Up”
CARBONDALE, Ill. — More than 60 Southern Illinois University Carbondale architecture and interior design students will showcase their creativity and cultural influence as they transform white plastic masks into works of art.
Students in Peter Smith’s Design Communication class used paint, twigs, leaves, fabric, jewelry and other items to cut provided white masks into geometric pieces on Tuesday, October 29th. Each person will work to create a unique mask that represents their unique perspective. The completed masks will be on display in Room 119 of Quigley Hall Gallery on the first floor for several weeks starting Friday, November 1st.
Each artwork is derived from a simple white “base” mask. Students conducted their own cultural research on masks and their significance around the world before sketching and planning in class.
Media availability
Reporters, photographers, and film crews can join Peter Smith’s class on Tuesday, October 29, in Quigley Hall, room 0006 (basement), to discuss this project with students. Class sections will be held from 9:15 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 4 p.m. Completed masks will be available for viewing in the Quigley Hall Gallery (Room 119) starting Friday, November 1st. Media is also invited. For the Oct. 31 event, students will also be in Quigley Hall, room 119, starting at 5 p.m. to vote for the winning entries. For more information, contact Smith at 618-453-3734 or smithpbs@siu.edu.
“Students conduct their own research, sketching and converting their ideas into a series of drawings that translate into a built reality,” said Smith, an associate professor of architecture and interior design in the School of Architecture. Ta.
This is the 16th “The Art of the Mask” project, which dates back to 2008. Each mask is mounted on an 11 x 14 inch black board. Students will bring their masks to the gallery in Quigley Hall (room 119) ahead of peer voting, which begins at 5 p.m. on Oct. 31.
The winner will be chosen as the next recipient.
The most architectural. The most innovative way to use a mask. The most culturally influenced. It’s the strangest thing.
The four winners then compete for “Best of Show.”
Smith said he plans to collect the top 150 masks from his classes over the past 16 years and assemble them as a traveling exhibit at local hospitals, including St. Louis-area children’s hospitals.
