When we think of all the things that bring us joy, it may be hard to imagine them all in the same room, but on September 30th, 2024, Jay Paver was able to do just that. Moreover, Paver is also a Century student and the 2024 Outstanding Student for Art. The carefully curated collection of art that is presented in the Niche Gallery consists of Paver’s countless hours of work and incredible talent. Although is it really considered work if you are simply doing what you love?
That is art to Paver: love. They have been creating art since childhood and as the years have progressed, so have their abilities. Uniquely, the pieces in the gallery do not have names. Paver finds that since the pieces did not have names to begin with, it would be disingenuous to give them a title just because of the expectation of one. When creating art, every artist has their own way of starting a piece. When I asked Paver how they start a new piece, they tell me, “I start with an idea and then clear my mind for a bit and the piece that I’m making will tell me where it wants to go.”
As a matter of fact, a piece that started out with nothing more than two Pringles cans, some toilet paper rolls, and a cookie tin became an intricate, multi-textured, fairy-esque exhibit. Paver’s attention to detail in this piece quite literally brought it to life after I learned that the stone path was made up of tiny pieces of rocks that they had gathered from outside. Even more, the small pile of firewood was also gathered outside and was baked in the oven to sterilize it to be on display! Of all the amazing works in the Niche Gallery, this was the piece that stood out to me the most, but I encourage you all to go see the art for yourself and find the piece that brings you the most joy.
