I’d only been to a few art shows in my life, and have always kept a distance from thinking about pieces in depth. I always felt like an observer who couldn’t quite understand what was going on; someone that could never quite “get it.” I was happy to find out that the Rose Dining Hall was receiving a small collection to keep around for a while.  Walking in on that Wednesday night, I was surprised when I saw a piece at the that caught my attention and held it for some time.

Refugees by Nicholas Carbonaro struck me as a powerful piece. In it, three faces are frozen in time and connected with a cloth-like material.  Two of them lean on each other while another is upside down. The faces are solemn, perhaps in deep thought -a moment of respite. The artist mentioned that he crafted this to represent the permanent connection with family can provide solace in a situation as treacherous as a refugee’s. Looking at the piece I felt intrigued by it, wondering what stories contributed to its construction. I think it would have been interesting to have other pieces with this theme shown. For now I’ll stare in wonder during the few weeks it gets to live in our dining hall.