Since he was 7, Kyle Trowbridge has enjoyed the freedom of creating art.
Today, the senior lecturer at the University of Miami continues to express his creativity through several mediums including painting, sculpting, and drawing—using common household items that you’d least expect.
“I build the tools that make the art,” said Trowbridge, who creates robotic tools made from old electronics like radios or toothbrushes to create abstract doodles with a single ballpoint pen. “We become victims of knowing too much. I think back to that time of not knowing too much and when I wasn’t worried about it being good. I was just doing it to do it.”
This style—motivated by the extra time on his hands throughout the pandemic—is what inspired Trowbridge to submit his most recent work into the 2022 Faculty Exhibition, a showcase at the University of Miami Gallery in Wynwood where faculty members can display a wide range of media for students and the public to review and study.
Lise Drost, a printmaking professor in the College of Arts and Science’s Department of Art and Art History, has submitted her handicraft into the faculty exhibition since 1993—only missing one or two in her time at the University.
“I think it’s an excellent way to share our work with our students and colleagues and the general public,” said Drost, who makes both prints and one-of-a-kind pieces that are more like paintings on a large scale.
Her work in this year’s exhibition is a print titled “The Way Home.” It is a silkscreen and collage piece that is a digital version of a relief etching that was inspired by her own house and studio. It’s part of a group themed portfolio titled “Chimaera,” organized by the Southern Graphics Council. “I wanted to talk about issues of inside and outside and how different they can be because it seemed to feed into the inclusivity theme of the folio project,” said Drost.
Now, more than ever, as we continue to deal with a lingering pandemic, the idea of faculty members gathering in person to showcase their work excites educators like Trowbridge and Drost.
“I see it as a time where you can get together with your colleagues and see what they’re up to,” said Trowbridge, who began teaching at the University in 1999. “Even though we’re back in person, sometimes it can feel like we’re not really back. It’s been different since the pandemic, and I think it was a great chance to see other faculty and what they are up to.”
Drost shares similar sentiments. Most of all, she’s happy to show students and the Miami community all the art department has to offer.
“We have an amazing group of faculty here, representing a huge array of approaches to art making, and our students get exposed to many of us and ultimately decide how they want to approach their own artwork,” said Drost. “I think our courses are great for non-majors who want to experience courses where they get to develop more creative, intuitive sides of their personalities.”
The 2022 Faculty Exhibition will be on view until Nov. 10 at the University of Miami Gallery located inside the Wynwood Building, 2750 NW Third Ave., Suite 4, in the Wynwood Art District in Miami. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, or by appointment.
