What do a frying pan, a Nintendo DS, a sewing machine, a pom-pom and a touch lamp all have in common? Artists from ETSU embrace unity through their creation.

The Student Installation Exhibit is being held from Oct. 5 to 20 at Tipton Gallery in Downtown Johnson City. An opening reception and gallery talk was held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 6. It is open on Thursday and Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m. and by appointment.

The exhibit is titled “Common Threads.” The artists featured are Akintayo Akintobi, Benjamin Conley, Paul Heckler, Annie Hutchins, Cait Maltbie and Delaney Rogers. It was curated by Karlota Contreras-Koterbay.

“Common Threads” is about how objects can connect the world through similarities and highlights the importance of finding a place in the community. The piece is interactive.

Photo taken at the student installation exhibit. (Maggie Jones/East Tennessean)

“It represents our community,” said Conley. “It is about individuality and individual hierarchy.”

All the artists said that the objects reflected something from their lives, whether be from their childhood or from adulthood. Each artist brought their own objects to reflect their own identity.

“Objects tell us who we are,” said Hutchins.

Then, all the artists connected the objects with string in different shapes and ways to make a connection representing the community. The string is made of different materials including string, twine, yarn, wire, chain and rope. It was also placed high and low.

Photo taken at the student installation exhibit. (Maggie Jones/East Tennessean)

“It is not a straightforward story with winding narrative,” said Maltbie.

The piece encouraged the audience to connect with the artists and each other through individuality and connection.

The artists collaborated a lot with the piece and talked with each other about where to place objects in the space. They wanted the piece to have as much equal input from all as possible.

The audience can interpret the piece and the objects with any meaning they want to.

The next ETSU art gallery at Tipton Gallery is “Adapted/Adopted: Journey of Asianx Women” from Oct. 26 to Nov. 24. The reception will be held on Nov. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m.

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