The vigorous, dynamic art exhibit "Cinema Verite" ("Truth in Film") by longtime Greenfield Community College professor Budge Hyde will continue to engage and challenge viewers through Thursday, March 5th at the South Gallery on the main campus. Hyde, who has a painting studio in Greenfield and in New York City, has exhibited at several galleries in New York City and other parts of the United States.

Budge came to Greenfield Community College in 1972 to teach painting and drawing. Hyde graduated from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City with a bachelor's in fine arts. He went on to earn an MFA from the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Art Academy.

Budge feels more passionate than ever about his chosen field. "I'm doing the best work of my life," he said. "It never gets old. I'm finding new ways to think and new ways to express those thoughts. Society is always changing, and in turn changing the landscape of every art form."

Hyde's current exhibition fills up the wide spaces of South Gallery with paintings that are mixed media on canvas, measuring 84 inches by 112 inches. Tom Young, the director of the gallery, is deeply impressed by the display. "They are incredibly powerful works," Young said. "Budge handles the integration of painting and photography in a seamless fashion. He juxtaposes paint and figurative photos in such a way that the viewer makes his own relationship and comes up with a collaborative literature."

Leo Hwang-Carlos, GCC's Associate Dean of Humanities, is in agreement. "I think the exhibition is an incredible opportunity for students to see one of our faculty active in practicing what he teaches. One of the things you must admire about Budge is how he's always expanding his boundaries, learning and integrating new ideas into his work. He's always challenging himself and looking for ways to push viewers of his works to become ‘readers.‘"

Cinema Verite is a style of filmmaking, meaning "truth in film," that was developed mostly by the French in the 1960s. At that time, handheld cameras were employed to impart a rough-hewn truth about the motion picture itself—-usually a documentary—-foregoing music, narration, interviews, and sound effects to create the story.

Professor Hyde pays tribute to Lori Friedman of Amherst, who served as the curator of the exhibition.

"I asked Lori to curate this show because she is well-respected in the art world and knows my work. She made the selection of the work from my studio and then hung it in the gallery in the way she chose."

Budge continues not only to teach and paint, but also remains a dedicated advocate of art as a transcendent force. "Art elevates the soul," Hyde commented. "Most students who pursue art do it as a passion. They feel it early on in their lives. If a person majors in Art but does not fully become an artist, he or she can still become someone who experiences the joy of being a true art lover."