UNS – The Faculty of Arts and Design (FSRD) of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta once again demonstrated its prominence through an art exhibition titled “ART Reflection.” Held from Tuesday (10/12/2024) to Wednesday (11/12/2024), the exhibition was part of the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) program, hosted at the Solo Is Solo Gallery, Gatot Subroto Corridor, and attracted over 60 visitors.
The MBKM program, an initiative of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) of the Republic of Indonesia, provides students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through internships, research, or other field projects. This program allows students to earn academic credits from activities conducted outside the campus environment. At FSRD UNS, MBKM aims to equip students with practical experience, art management skills, and networking opportunities in the field of fine arts.
The “ART Reflection” exhibition was officially opened by the Head of the Fine Arts Study Program, represented by Dr. Dona Prawita. In her opening remarks, she praised the students’ dedication to implementing the MBKM program at Solo Is Solo. “Congratulations on the exhibition. I hope this event contributes to the future development of fine arts. This is an excellent and relevant form of fieldwork aligned with the competencies taught in the program,” Dr. Dona stated.
Irma, the exhibition’s organizing committee chair, reported that students produced the showcased works during their internship. Additionally, the exhibition featured outputs from workshops involving public participation. “We are very grateful for the opportunity to intern at Solo Is Solo. Here, we didn’t just learn theories but also gained hands-on practice and explored new experiences beyond what we typically receive on campus,” Irma expressed.
The MBKM program advisor, Dyah Yuni Kurniawati, S.Sn., M.Sn., highlighted the importance of collaboration between academia and the professional world. “Through MBKM, students gain invaluable experience, especially in managing gallery promotions. We are grateful that the program was well received by Solo Is Solo. Students were given the freedom to explore and bring the gallery to life as a creative space for the community through workshops and exhibitions,” she remarked.
Dyah further added that the MBKM team, named Soulscape, successfully collaborated with five tenants who exhibited at Solo Is Solo under a paid system. According to her, this demonstrated the mutual benefits of the program. “We hope this internship program will continue in the future, considering its relevance to competency development in the Fine Arts Study Program,” she added.
The MBKM Fine Arts Program team’s exhibition served as a platform to present students’ works and provided a reflective space for integrating theory and practice in fine arts. As part of the MBKM initiative, the activity is expected to be a stepping stone for students to broaden their perspectives while increasing UNS’s contribution to promoting arts in public spaces.
With the success of this exhibition, Solo Is Solo has further strengthened its position as a creative hub supporting young talents in the arts sector. Meanwhile, the MBKM program is expected to continue bridging the gap between academia and the professional world.
The exhibition also aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 4: “Quality Education.” This emphasizes the importance of art and culture in education to foster creativity, critical thinking skills, and a deeper understanding of cultural diversity.
HUMAS UNS
