Alma Kairgeldina, shown here with her self-portrait bust in the Bernie
Dallas room in Goodell Hall, is a BFA student in the Architecture and
Design Program.
The bust was created in Figure Modeling, a required course in the sculpture
curriculum, taught by professors Pat Lasch and Nancy Lapointe. It
introduces students to the techniques of representing the human figure
in clay.
Kairgeldina’s self-portrait is one of 10 terra cotta busts currently
on display that may become a permanent rotating exhibit. The busts
from the figure modeling class are installed for the current semester
and then replaced by the busts from next semester.
The beautiful wood-paneled, high-ceilinged Dallas Room, is an ideal
venue for this exhibit. The addition of the busts makes the visitor
think of the Roman portraits lined up in the classical section of an
art museum. The Dallas Room is used throughout the year for informational
sessions about UMass Amherst to potential applicants. As such, it is
an ideal location to feature this exhibit of self-portraits of a cross-section
of the student body.
