ART Station Features GTC Portfolio Show

More than a thousand people showed up to Gwinnett Technical College Portfolio Show on Saturday at ART Station, now in its 11th year at the Stone Mountain gallery and 29th overall year.  

"It started out as a small portfolio exhibition," said David Thomas, artistic director of the gallery. "Now it's pretty popular." 

The show, which grows by a couple of hundred people every year, is filled with 19 students graduating from GTC's commercial photography program. The two-year program covers everything from Adobe Photoshop to modern techniques to traditional photography, training students how to apply their photography skills in commercial applications.

The pieces shown in the exhibit are from the students' final portfolios, with five or more pieces from each student. The photographs range over many genres, from depicting anything from wine being poured in a glass to the out-of-the-ordinary.

One example is of a model wearing an real octopus on her head, photographed by Jeremy Barton, who won second place for his overall portfolio.

"My whole theme is to push the comfort level of some people," said Barton.  

Starr Petronella, another photography student and winner of best overall portfolio, said she likes to photograph places that have a history.

"I'm definitely more of an urban, exploration person," she said. Many of her pieces shown in the exhibit feature abandoned homes and an abandoned hospital, in addition to a more comedic shot featuring drag queens competing on a race track.   

"The showing is to display their work, to have a last goodbye," said Sheri Finch, the commercial photography program director at GTC.

Finch said the portfolio show is a good way for the students to go through the whole process of making an art exhibit, too. "They get to work with an art curator, and experience this all, instead of just having their book and having someone grade it."

And Petronella said she's proud of her work in the program and exhibit. "I'm very happy with what I've accomplished," she said. "I'm happy with the outcome. Knowing where I was two years ago to where I am now, it's something that I'm proud of." 

The cooking department at GTC showed off their skills during the portfolio show, too. Kerri Crean, the culinary arts program director at GTC, said the students from both departments work together in a few ways: The photography students take photos of the food, and the culinary students cook food for the exhibit.

Cooking food for the exhibit can also be a part of the examing process in the program, for students who decide to tackle the task of making canipes, finger foods and other hors' dourves. 

"It's like a complementary stage," said Crean. Crean said they have about 34 culinary students out of the department involved in displaying, handing out and preparing the food, which started Wednesday.

The connoisseurs also met with the photographers beforehand to decide which foods the photography students would be interested in having served. 

Johnnie Boykin, a culinary student who was helping out with the event, named a dozen dishes that were prepared for the night. Miniature New York-styled cheesecakes, seven-layer bars, banana rum balls and calamari salad were available, just to name a few.  

Overall, the evening seemed to be a success. "These guys do an incredible job," said Thomas.

"I'm extremely happy. We always are. That's why we keep doing it," he continued. "Their mission is quality, and that's what our mission is, so we're a true partnership." 

The Gwinnett Technical College Portfolio show at ART Station runs through October 29. ART Station is located at 5384 Manor Drive in the heart of Stone Mountain Village.