Ohio University is a real-life work of art, a campus known for its beauty. It seems only fitting that within the grand picture of beauty lies a small place where beauty is radiated through works of art.
Station 116, a small venue located at 116 N. Lancaster St., is hosting its third annual Artists’ Showcase. The showcase will feature local artists and others, who will reveal their works in many different forms, including zines, books, comics, prints, stickers, paintings, drawings, sculptures, videos, poetry readings and musical performances.
Maggie Prest, a senior studying graphic design and photography, runs Station 116 and is proud to facilitate a space where people can showcase their hard work and artistic ability.
“I love the variety of people that it brings in and the opportunity for the community to continue showcasing their artistic abilities, and their love and passion for whatever medium or performance they could do,” she said.
The showcase started in spring of 2017 and was initially centered around zines and comics. The previous owners of Station 116 started the show, and Prest was helping out and getting a feel for what it would be like when she took over. In the second year, the directors wanted to also include print work and poetry. For the third year, they’ve expanded even more by inviting performers who play music and dance.
Prest and her co-director, Marcus Pavilonis, are enjoying their last semester as the directors of Station 116. Pavilonis, a senior studying studio art and a former illustrator for The Post, loves getting to work with a plethora of different artists.
“I love the chance to get to work with such a wide variety of artists,” Pavilonis said. “And I love the social aspect, and a lot of the community aspect that comes from building that space. The showcase has a wider range of mediums included, and it’s cool to see how much it’s expanded since the beginning.”
Artists are encouraged to share their work through whatever medium they desire, because Prest and Pavilonis are open to all different types of works.
Abigale Collins, a junior studying studio art, has participated in the showcase for the past two years and is excited to submit two pieces for the third annual showcase.
“It’s so cool that Station 116 is run by students,” Collins said. “It’s awesome that we have this opportunity available to us, not even the showcase aspect, but even just the people running it and getting experience in all aspects of working with gallery art and helping others showcase their art.”
Collins will show two pieces at the showcase. The first is a portrait of a person created through a collage of other photos, and the other is an abstract piece that focuses on typography, font, symbols and language. She loves being a part of the showcase because of the inclusivity exercised by the space.
“I love how inclusive it is,” Collins said. “People locally and out of town bring their work. It’s LGBTQ+ friendly, and even just the people who show up are really cool. It’s fun to see who submits work and who pops in to see the show.”
Because this is Prest and Pavilonis’ last year running the space, they are especially excited to put on the showcase. They both greatly encourage emailing them last-minute submissions and encourage people to stop by and enjoy everyone’s works of art.
“This is a great opportunity to get to know the people that you’re living with in Athens,” Prest said. “It’s also just a really nice perk that the community has a space like this to utilize and see art. It’s a great way to support the art community in Athens, which is a really big part of the community.”
