A vast collection of unique student art pieces painted the fireplace of the Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center’s (C4) Fireplace Lounge on Wednesday night for the annual fall Dickinson Community art show. All community residents, regardless of major, were invited to show off their original work.

Pieces submitted by students ranged from simplistic-style pencil sketches to bright acrylic paintings and intricate hand-carved images into blocks of wood.

Keiffer Peralta, the assistant resident coordinator for Johnson Hall of Dickinson Community, worked with Ali Nottke, the residential director (RD) of Old Digman, to create the event in hopes of providing artistic Binghamton University students a place where they could foster their talents and passion.

Peralta explained that there are plenty of opportunities to share experiences through writing, but fewer for more visual expression.

“We wanted our residents to have an outlet where they could express themselves freely,” said Peralta, a first-year graduate student in the master of public administration program. “A majority of the time, students express themselves through words, though with art it’s a different mode and there’s so much room for interpretation.”

In addition to showcasing student works, the art show allowed residents and RDs to interact.

Art-related events, including those hosted by residential assistants, are typically held each fall semester for Dickinson Community residents, though other residential communities organize similar exhibits. Another show for the community will be held during the spring semester.

Peralta explained that universities should emphasize the need for these types of creative events in order to provide an escape from typical academic classes.

“Even though this is a small sample size of our community, who knows how many students here can actually draw and express themselves through art?” Peralta said. “There’s so much that goes into these pieces instead of just taking a pencil and paint and just putting it on paper.”