She awakes in a colorless room, and her steps draw her toward the door. As the girl strides through, the ambiance shifts to a deep red, surrounding her like an ember. A red telephone box stands in the center. She lifts the phone to her ear. Suddenly, the floor drops, sending her tumbling into a bed of leaves. Surrounded by orange-lit lamps and fluttering monarchs, the sunset casts a soft glow over the scenery.

“A Colorful Dream” by Adrien Broom is a set of images exploring the vibrancy and emotion behind colors through dreamlike scenes. The project begins devoid of color in a girl’s bedroom. Then, the viewer follows her as she takes on new adventures through the colors of the rainbow — red to purple. Finally, she returns to her bedroom. 

What was once a blank canvas is now adorned with the colors of emotion, growth and discovery. Located on the second floor of the Memorial Student Center, or MSC, in the Forsyth Gallery, this exhibit is on display until March 16.

“These pieces paired well with the fascinating technology going on in the 19th century to create new colors within glass,” Associate Director of the University Arts Galleries Elizabeth Appleby said. “It highlights how color can really impact emotions and feelings.”

As associate director, Appleby finds exhibits that pair well with their permanent gallery, the Bill and Irma Runyon Art Collection. 

In the 1980s, Bill Runyon ‘35 and his wife Irma Runyon donated their glass collection and provided funding to establish the Forsyth Galleries, a collection consisting of 19th and 20th-century European and American art. Now, Appleby works to unite the antique exhibit with modern art, accentuating the hard work that goes into glassmaking.

“This exhibit shows the detail that goes into carving glass,” Appleby said. “ … If you make a mistake, you have to start over again. It takes up to three to four weeks.”

Cameo, blown, pressed and cut glass are the focal points of this collection, highlighting the innovations of these centuries-old glassmakers. Forsyth Galleries’ directors also find unique pieces to display alongside the glasswork to make the collections shine. The biggest challenge for Appleby was finding a project to tie it together.

“Luckily, we were able to include all pictures from the piece, including the stop motion,” Appleby said.

The stop-motion film featured in this gallery was created by artist Adrien Broom, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the three-year creation of her project. 

The film takes viewers through the process Broom followed to craft each set, piece by piece. Every set shows a dedication to detail and passion for creating enchanting, dreamlike scenes that transport the viewer to another world. These imaginative sets convey the essence of each color in the spectrum. Broom takes pride in her work, with no post-production editing.

“It highlights how photos really only capture a moment in time, even as people grow up,” Appleby said.

The girl ages slowly throughout the series, though not linearly. As she journeys through the colors of the spectrum, her aging highlights the wisdom and depth gained along the way. Her age fluctuates in the different sections, illustrating that the artist did not capture the images chronologically, despite the final project photos following the sequence of the rainbow.

“I know it sounds cliche, but it really does transport me back to when I was like 10 years old,” architecture sophomore Anna Bergman said. “ … All of the photos depict a dream and how a child would see it, and I think I would see it the same way.”

A vibrant, surreal world surrounds the model as she explores the world of color and imagination. Through her journey, she experiences major transformations and self-discovery, leading to her colorful room at the end. Each scene is filled with whimsical, dreamlike landscapes, encouraging a sense of inspiration and awe for all watching.

“Sometimes you make a show that’s just beautiful … to me, her piece is an organism,” Appleby said. “It has an environment that fits with the whole piece, and you let people explore it as they go.”

The Forsyth Art Galleries combine older sculptures, such as their glass collection, with a modern take, bringing a new meaning to both collections and defining Forsyth Galleries as an artistic spotlight.