Hello! My name is Bella, and I’m an art history student-turned-intern at the Columbia Art League this semester. Along with video games and brewing the perfect cup of tea, food and art are among my favorite things in this life. I discovered this as a young child watching the movie Ratatouille, as the main character Remy bites into a grape and some cheese and creates a wild choreography of color in his mind from the flavors alone.

Anyone my age who loves food (or Disney movies) can easily tell you that this scene is iconic in our collective generational imagination; it taught us all that both food and art, when appreciated, can describe and convey emotions in a way that is difficult to convey through language alone. When I first heard that I would get to work at the Columbia Art League during their show, Nibble, I was instantly reminded of this famous scene and got so excited to be a part of it.

I took two of my friends along with me to the reception of Nibble last Friday. While it was a bit intimidating bringing my friends to my place of work and showing them my favorite pieces, I managed to brave through that anxiety and have meaningful conversations with them about the local art on display.

One friend was particularly drawn to Which Way?, a fantastically textured oil painting by the local artist Linda Hoffman. We both agreed that the use of color in the piece was stunning; the contrast between the blueish-purple background and the bright yellow and orange hues of the fruit is striking. Being the art nerds that we are, we also talked about how the brushwork reminded us of Impressionist painting, similar to the works of Monet.

Another friend was drawn to Bubble Tea Reverie, an acrylic painting by the artist Kelly Durante. As avid fans of boba tea, my friends and I absolutely adored this piece. The texture of the pinks, whites, and reds melting into one another, along with floating bubbles of dark maroon, instantly evoked the sweet whimsy and good memories of bubble tea.

As someone who has only really painted with oil and gouache, the visual effect of the acrylic paint also surprised me. When I first saw the piece, I remember staring at it, trying to figure out how a picture plane could have so much texture, yet end up being so smooth and shiny. This piece, along with Which Way? left me wanting to break out my paints again and start creating some interesting textures. It also inspired my totally-not-related purchase of tapioca pearls and matcha powder.

Overall, seeing my first CAL show as an intern, despite my initial nervousness, was an incredibly impactful experience. Seeing so many people of different backgrounds gather to discuss not one, but two, of my favorite things in the world was something I will never forget. Although Nibble might not reach the same audience as Ratatouille might, it brought back the same appreciation for the arts (culinary or visual) that my six-year-old self learned from seeing Remy experience the wonders of French cuisine.

P.S. Here are a few of my favorite pieces from the show!