Chiaroscuro and triptych are words that are not used by most people, but architecture and art and design students know their meanings all too well.

Students who visited Rome will exhibit their art at the Rome Exhibition Oct. 1-10 in Gallery 181 of the College of Design. A reception celebrating the students’ work will be on Oct. 3 at 4:30 p.m.

A group of students went to Rome the fall and spring semesters of the 2000-2001 school year as part of Iowa State’s study abroad program.

They produced the art form chiaroscuro in charcoal shadings of some of Rome’s famous sculptures, “The Trevi Fountain” and Bernini’s “Four Seasons Fountain.” Chiaroscuro is an Italian word meaning light/dark. This art form is typically produced in drawings and paintings.

Students also made triptychs, which are artworks divided into three panels. These paintings were originally designed as altar pieces.

Religious figures, such as Mary, would be displayed on one panel, and patrons on another panel, said Brenda Jones, associate professor of art.

One other project students brought home are scrapbooks.

Genevieve Borich, senior in community and regional planning, said these scrapbooks were designed to be works of art in themselves. They contain watercolor and ink artworks that students created while visiting various Roman sites, like Bernini’s Elephant and Pompeii, Jones said.

Borich is one student who will be exhibiting her art. Students who went abroad got the chance to experience Roman art first-hand. They studied famous artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael and Bernini, Borich said.

“Rome provides a unique opportunity in that it molds everything together,” Borich said. “It’s the beginning of everything; it’s going back to the basics.”

“When you look at Rome you’re looking at the beginning of a foundation of Western art,” Jones said.

The event is free, food will be served and President Geoffroy will speak. The exhibit will be open for the next week and a half.

“[The exhibit is] a way for a person to see how someone has interpreted art,” Jones said.