With some free coffee in hand, surrounded by friends and admirers, and her life's work on display for the first time--Catherin Colaw couldn't help but grin.
A group of about 15 students and faculty gathered at the Art Cafe in the Memorial Union Wednesday night to celebrate senior photographer Colaw's first-ever gallery opening, and she wasn't shy about expressing her elation.
"It's really exciting," Colaw said. "I still can't believe it."
The event was part of the ongoing Arts and Culture series, sponsored by the Programming and Activities Board and Memorial Union Events and Activities.
Colaw's collection featured a series of black-and-white photographs of unknown individuals in everyday life.
"I really focus on the stranger," Colaw said. "Everyone has something in common. You can really see that through the means of photography."
The realism of the stills captivated many in attendance.
"I appreciate her photography because it's not planned out," junior Annie Pennell said. "It's like a moment captured in time-completely random."
Colaw was originally an interior design major, but her life's direction changed two years ago when she enrolled in a course on a whim.
"I took a photography class and just fell in love with it," Colaw said.
In December, Colaw received an honorable mention in the City of Tempe's Hayden Flour Mill Photo contest, and her work is being considered for fence art panels at the site of the Mill, Colaw said.
That same month, she served as curator for another photographer's collection at the Art Cafe, perking her interest in displaying her own work.
The Art Cafe, located inside Einstein's Bagels in the MU, used to occupy the entire space before the bagel shop opened in the early 90's, said junior Alix Hornyan, who helps coordinates special events for the Programming and Activities Board.
For the last two years, the Art Cafe has given growing artists an opportunity to display their work on a larger scale, Hornyan said.
"As an Art student, I don't see a lot of Art community on campus," Hornyan said. "The Art Cafe can help to build that sense of community."
The student-run PAB is making a conscious effort to further increase community in promoting weekly Arts and Culture events, including musical performances and poetry readings, every Wednesday at 8 p.m.
Up to 1600 people pass through the Art Cafe every weekday, Einstein's supervisor Debbie Starr said, and the art on display can really make an impact.
"We had one piece of artwork up last year," Starr said. "It was of Osama bin Laden. [Students] were so upset about that picture that we had to have it taken down."
Student-critiques of the art pieces are very common, Starr said.
"They'll make a comment if they like it ... they'll make a comment if they don't like it."
Judgment by the public is one of the reasons that not many artists have submitted their work to the Art Cafe, Colaw said.
"It's terrifying putting up your stuff, having people analyzing it," Colaw said.
Still, Colaw welcomes the opportunity to reach a larger viewing audience that comes with the gallery-space.
"I don't think art should be a selective thing," Colaw said.
Reach the reporter at: nathaniel.lipka@asu.edu.
