Five Questions with Christopher Forgey

In October, artist and alumnus Christopher Forgey ’99 came home to the Hilltop to set up an exhibition of paintings and drawings at the Durbin Gallery.

“Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”—more than 100 acrylic or water-based works, including paintings on canvas, wood panel, paper, and collage—will be on display Oct. 5-31.

Forgey, a native of Huntsville who now lives in Atlanta, specialized in sculpture and mixed media as a student at both BSC and Florida State, where he obtained a master of fine arts. He also holds a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Houston.

As a senior at BSC in 1999, what did you see in your future?

I received my bachelor of fine arts, and I wanted to be a professor and do the fine arts thing. I love teaching and that was what I wanted to do. I’m actually thinking about going back and teaching.

Where did life take you after BSC?

My job title now is preconstruction director. I work for a large corporation, the fourth largest industrial developer in the world. We do design/build projects, and it’s been rewarding. It’s a pretty creative process, and it’s a fun job. We have to compete with other firms, so I’m a pitch man a lot of times. I get to do a lot of a bit of everything, working with architects and engineers to design what the client wants.

What advice would you give to art students?

I recommend every art student switch majors but still be an artist. Do something a little different that challenges you. Your creative work will be so much better.

What was your goal in creating this exhibition?

The title of the show is based on the mid-point of my career. I’ve traveled for my work extensively and around the globe, and have absorbed a tremendous amount of information from being exposed to other cultures. I originally had the idea to do an architectural sculpture installation for this show. My first love, though, has always been painting and drawing throughout my career, which is a departure from my 9-to-5 dealing with architectural design and spatial concepts.

Who are some of the subjects we might see in your exhibit?

Burt Reynolds. When I was at Florida State, you’d see Burt Reynolds [an alumnus and longtime supporter] walking down the hall. He was a funny guy.

And there are Taylor Swift drawings. I’m a big Taylor Swift fan. I’m not ashamed of that.

There will be something for everyone. I wanted the show to be inclusive; there’s so much exclusive stuff going on in the world today. I wanted this show to be a little light, funny, and beautiful.