Art soothes the soul, symbolizes power and struggle, and calls for social change.
Trung Pham’s work says so.
Pham is a man of many talents and persuasions. The son of Vietnamese immigrants, he is a Jesuit priest and assistant professor at Seattle University who teaches art and sculpture to a vibrant student art community.
He has degrees in theology and chemical engineering, and a masters in fine art.
He also is a professional artist, who has participated in solo and group exhibitions. His sculpture, “Chair 1”, recently captured the People’s Choice Award and a $400 prize at the Small Works Big Presents, The Gift of Art exhibit at the White River Valley Museum.
His winning artwork will appear in next year’s postcard invite.
The juried show and sale – which closes Sunday – attracted more than 40 area artists working in a wide range of media, from oil and pastel to sculptured plaster and textile arts. All pieces were 12 inches or less in dimension.
Of the 248 pieces entered, 72 made it into the show selected by a jury composed of local practicing artist Mary Ellen Bowers, arts management consultant Miguel Guillén and Green River College photography instructor Gary Oliveira.
Pham, 40, had entered the show for several years, sometimes doing highly-detailed pencil drawings. But this time, he decided to change his format.
Using leftover plaster from his classes at SU, he sculpted an unoccupied chair positioned on a high foundation block.
“I asked myself, ‘How can I transform this waste into a sculpture?’ ” Pham said. “The chair can be symbolic of power … of poor or rich … a position in society.”
Winning the award is “helpful, inspiring and encouraging,” as Pham said, but his participation in the museum’s exhibit is more about supporting the arts in the community through his techniques and teachings.
“To become a community artist … that’s my goal,” Pham said. “Art speaks from the heart, opens the dialogue and grips the community.”
The City of Auburn Arts Commission and 4Culture provide monetary support, making possible the $1,900 in awards presented each year for the exhibit.
