Design
students condense London into time capsules
By Christine G. Adamo
On-line Forty-Niner
Even
dressed in a sport coat and bespectacled,
Jon Chenier looked more like a Cal State
Long Beach student than a former faculty
member.
 As
Chenier spoke of the “London Gallery” exhibit,
created by the 11 students who accompanied
him on a six-week European study program
called “London Art Summer 2002,” the distinction
became clear.
“This exhibit is really theirs,” Chenier
said. “I’m touched that our trip was so
important to them. A lot of problem solving
and critical thinking went into planning
this event.”
The four-day exhibit in the department of
design gallery opened with a reception Tuesday
night. The event is a tribute to the students’
scholarly efforts and appreciation for their
time abroad under Chenier’s guidance.
A compilation of Beatles tunes takes visitors
to virtual London, serving as a backdrop
for the continuous-loop slideshow that documents
the group’s adventures in Europe.
Student analysis and redesign of landmarks
such as London’s famed, red telephone booths
and the Victoria and Albert Museum hang
on three walls of the gallery. They are
punctuated by metro-inspired placards and
memento-laden time capsules.
The six to eight-foot-long capsules befittingly
hang like transport pods in the center of
the gallery. Constructed from hula hoops
and fishing wire, the capsules are adorned
with a host of surprising souvenirs, which
mark each student’s personal journey.
Sherry Rezvani, a junior studying interior
architectural design, said the idea for
the capsules emerged as the group reflected
on the luggage-loads of unique artifacts
they had collected.
“We were a really eclectic mix,” Rezvani
said, while still preparing the exhibit
on Monday afternoon. “Everyone was so visual.
It was all about getting cool fliers, so
we decided to incorporate them into the
show.”
Erik Zimmer, a fourth-year industrial design
major, said he was struck by the cohesiveness
of the group.
“We went out as a group,” Zimmer said, “and
we came back as a group.”
Chenier attributes the success of the “London
Gallery” exhibit to the bonding that occurred
on the trip.
“When you give students something new and
exciting, that perhaps has a bit of a challenge
behind it,” Chenier said, “and they see
their instructor enjoying what they’re doing
this is the result. I’m pleased.”
The trip is a pilot program Chenier co-created
with fellow instructors and with the help
of student trip-planning agency American
Institute for Foreign Study. Rezvani, Simmer
and other students who took part in the
trip said their study time often ran long.
Their reward came in the form of field trips
to the offices of prominent Web and architectural
design agencies, excursions to Stonehenge
and other notable European destinations,
and each other’s friendship.
“It was a storybook summer,” Rezvani said
as an infectious smile spread across her
face.
The department of design art gallery is
located at the corner of State University
Drive and Palo Verde Avenue, across from
the Foundation building. The exhibit will
run through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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