A new exhibit came to GW Law this March with the launch of a "Community Art Gallery" featuring the photography of seven law school community members. The exhibit was originally the idea of Professor Robert Brauneis, who proposed it with the belief that members of the law school can gain from sharing artistic endeavors.
To make the idea a reality, Professor Brauneis and Associate Dean Scott Pagel sought and gained approval from Dean Blake Morant to form a committee with faculty, staff, student, and alumni representatives. The group decided for the inaugural year to focus on photography rather than on works like sculptures and oil paintings that are more difficult to display and maintain.
"The GW Law Community Art Gallery was founded out of a conviction that our community has much to gain from sharing our diverse artistic endeavors. You may learn that someone you knew only from her remarks on a legal topic is an individual of multifaceted depth. You may discover that amateurs and professionals alike can produce works of great beauty and insight. You may be encouraged in your own diverse pursuits, whether they involve art, or music, or cooking, or coding, or something completely different."
-Welcoming Statement Posted at the GW Law Community Art Gallery
The committee next solicited photographs from members of the community and ultimately decided on seven works from Hersh Acharya, LLM '14; Dennis Brack, LLB '65; Claire Duggan, JD '13, Associate Director for Student Academic Development; Janet Fries, JD '94, Professorial Lecturer in Law; Todd Peterson, Professor of Law; Sonia Suter, Professor of Law; and Wajiha Zahid Khuwaja, LLM '16.
It all culminated in an event on March 31 to launch the exhibit in the Law Learning Center. Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Roger Fairfax delivered opening remarks, and many of the photographers were on hand to discuss their work with their fellow GW Law community members.
Going forward, the committee is empowered to add two new works per year to the wall of the LLC. For those interested in the chance to potentially showcase some of their own work, there's good news: the committee can be contacted at [email protected].
The Community Art Gallery is on permanent display in the Law Learning Center. Members of the 2016 committee include faculty members Robert Brauneis and Scott Pagel, alumna Susan Weller, current student Kristin Hoeberlein, and staff member Seth Tate.