Centenary student work showcased at the Meadows Museum of Art
SHREVEPORT, LA – On November 1, 2022, Side Affects by Centenary student Emily Grant opened at the Meadows Museum of Art. The exhibition will be on display through December 3 in the museum’s Project Space Gallery, a monthly rotating exhibit space.
Side Affects is Grant’s senior exhibition and focuses on her mental health journey. The gallery incorporates four different installations – a mountain of empty pill bottles, two oversized pills, and a collection of objects encased in pill-shaped resin. Grant shared that, “the mound of empty pill bottles shows the routine lengths people go through to feel ‘normal.’”
The large pill sculptures, titled Vyvanse I and Vyvanse II, are made up of foam, feathers, spray paint, gesso, tissue paper, and spackle. Named for the prescription medicine that they represent, Grant scaled these pieces to “emphasize their effect and be the center of attention.” They depict ways she feels before and after taking the medication. Finally, Coping, the wall of resin pills, explores a variety of fears and common coping mechanisms.
“I hope others view Side Affects as a look into the lives of those who struggle with mental health and the journey in finding what works for them when it comes to medication,” said Grant. “I hope it will shed more light on mental health and make it not such a stereotyped or taboo topic.”