The Bakersfield College Art Student Exhibition made a shift in moving to an online format for the first time ever on April 2. Art students display their art as they showed a sense of leadership to the community by adjusting to the new norms of social distancing. 

The digital exhibit was held by the Jones Art Gallery which invited everyone to see student artwork made in BC’s media art courses. Social media platforms that were used to show the art were Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and Facebook. Art forms ranged in charcoal drawings, acrylic paintings, photography, graphic designs, ceramics, video art, and more. Despite the drastic change in school, students like Daniel Rodriguez, expressed their immense gratitude for Professor Kristopher Stallworth for giving him assistance and opportunity to develop black and white film. 

The meaning behind Rodriguez’s photography art piece titled “Out back,” comes from the vintage setting where a retro car and house is shown as if the photo was taken in the past. “This has been one of my favorite photos I’ve taken recently, something about it seems nostalgic almost, this photo is like a trip back to the past,” Rodriguez said. 

One of the main obstacles photography students are facing as they adjust to the online transition, are working and practicing on their photography skills. 

Most students are working from home and using whatever props they can find to practice social distancing. 

“Scarlet,” a digital photo art piece by Isai Fuentes, was made solely from his hand and a red piece of plastic he found at home which gave off the red tint in the photo that he took of his hand. 

“I try to work with what I have, and my hands are something that I always have so I try to convey an emotion through colors, depth of field and the positioning of my hands,” Fuentes said. 

Art students are not the only ones trying to overcome the recent obstacles that come from social distancing. Media Arts Professor, Jeffrey Huston, describes the means of instruction as well as the way he evaluates as the biggest obstacle.

 The transition of moving to an online platform has given everyone the task to be more creative with their resources. 

“My students deserve so much credit. They have stepped up their game, continuing to participate in classroom activities and completing assignments despite the technological challenges and space limitations,” Huston said.