Each semester the TJC Art Department professors convene and select a handful of exceptional students to showcase in an exhibition. The students selected are also awarded a performance grant. Art professor Derick White organized this year’s exhibition.
”There’s a lot of variety. These three artists have collaborated on a big piece. These three individuals are not only successful students and artists, but they’re also good friends.”
This semester’s featured artists are Andres Breffitt, Kailan Counahan and Jessica Sanders. Each have their own distinctive style, but the setup of the exhibit allows them to flow into each other, culminating in a collaboration that dominates the hall.

“It’s kind of like pieces of a jigsaw,” said Breffitt. “The name of this one is ‘psychedelic armpits.’”
The artists are chosen from the studio art classes. The showcase allows the art department to provide an outlet for students who could easily compete on a professional level.
“My part of the theme is ‘energy,’” said Breffitt. “It’s very spontaneous … I just see it. I’m watching and I’m observing as the colors build.”
For Spring, White hopes to see a new exhibition showing off student faculty’s artwork.
The “Tyler Junior College Art Student Showcase” will be on display in Wise Auditorium until December 11. The gallery is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
White hosted a reception for the gallery on Thursday, December 4.
Over at the Tyler Museum of Art, the current exhibition “Flow into the Mystic: Marriage and the Contemporary Artist” highlights the work of several married Texan couples and looks at how their marriage influences their working relationship. “Flow into the Mystic” runs through February 1.
The Tyler Museum of Art, located on the TJC main campus, is open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5p.m. and Sundays from 1p.m.-5p.m.