Students and DeKalb residents can attend the Biennial Exhibition in Altgeld Hall, to celebrate a presentation of both faculty and student artwork.

The reception is a joint exhibition of both the School of Art and President Doug Baker’s office and is from 4:30 to 6 p.m. today.

“This is President Baker’s first year, so this is a new idea he’s had to engage the students a bit more and the idea to have this rotation of student artwork in his office was conceived of it separately,” said Pete Olson, NIU Art Museum assistant director. “There is an official kind of relationship that’s curated by students and administered … in collaboration with the President’s office. There’s also artwork at the president’s residence, here in town.”

The artwork that will be showcased at Baker’s house will feature original art from graduate students, including Jessie Knirsch, Daniel Jasa, Nate Crocker and several other students.

While the president’s office features artwork from graduate students, the Art Museum will present original artwork from faculty.

“We do a show with the faculty every two years, so just ask for new work from them,” said Jo Burke, NIU Art Museum director. “And we’re very open to whatever that new work might be. Not every person even works in their typical medium … We have art educators who are also showing work in here that we don’t always think of them as ‘practicing artists,’ so they are the show. So, it’s quite an array.”

The show will act as a closing reception for the museum and will not open again until March. During its closure, the museum will undo renovations and installations for future artwork.

“It’ll be one final review of the exhibit…,” said Jillian Allen, sophomore 3-D studio arts and biology double major. “A couple of days ago, we discussed some various different ideas to keep the attention flowing and keeping the flow of the two shows. Ideas ranged from having one of workers … dressed up like cupid and guide people to the elevators and keep it flowing.”