Solo exhibitions at CCAD student galleries called "invaluable"

The student galleries at Columbus College of Art & Design are a big deal.

Acock Gallery, Beaton Gallery, and Byers Gallery give CCAD Fine Arts seniors a chance to have solo exhibitions — a unique opportunity in art and design education.

Columbus Alive recently showcased those galleries and the impact they have on CCAD students.

“Alum Kyle Franklin, an artist working on the West Coast, called the on-campus exhibition experience ’invaluable,’” Columbus Alive’s Jim Fischer wrote.

“Not even every art school gives each student a solo show,” Franklin (whose work at CCAD's Beaton Gallery is pictured above) told Alive. “You learn every step through the whole process — conferencing, making, curating, advertising, reception, artist talks — and in a community of people around you affirming and challenging your beliefs.”

Plus, CCAD students turn into CCAD grads, who, in turn, fuel Columbus’ creative economy.

“There’s no question that CCAD alumni compose a significant segment of Columbus’ creative community,” the piece in Columbus Alive says. “Most weeks, the Alive arts section features the work of CCAD alums, working in and contributing to the city’s thriving art scene.”