A group of artists hopes to shed some light on male apathy in a special exhibit at the Bermuda College.‘Male Academic Disengagement’ (MAD) opens tomorrow, and is organised by the collective Bermudian Artists Rise Up.It will follow a forum to be held by the college’s liberal arts division on the same day.That event will look at why young males aren’t as dedicated to their studies as their female counterparts.“We have taken on this exhibit in hopes that the group can be engaged in subject matter that isn’t of the norm,” said show organiser Calix Smith. “We as artists must take up the responsibility to engage the issues that are of concern to the community. There is definitely male disengagement. There is probably a plethora of reasons for it. It is hard to pinpoint one thing that causes people to disengage academically. The lecture that precedes the opening of the art show will seek to answer that question.”At least six artists, including Mr Smith, will take part in the show Manuel Palacio, Summer Wood, Ami Zanders, Dany Pen and Gavin Smith. Mr Smith is interested in speaking with other artists who might like to participate.Mr Smith is a Bermuda College student, but he took this semester off to start the collective. Its 119 members include established and emerging artists of many different mediums and genres from traditional art to rap music. Mr Smith plans to finish his studies next semester.“In high school I did feel disengaged myself,” he said. “That was because visual arts wasn’t taken seriously in high school, and it was all I cared about in school. We were pushed into the commercial things. People don’t look at you getting an art degree as serious, but art infiltrates all sorts of different areas and careers. For a lot of young people today, the economy could be one of the reasons they disengage academically. People might feel it is pretty bleak going to college and then trying to come into the workforce. I think there are opportunities here, whether they are present or you make them for yourself. For whatever reason there is this feeling that there aren’t opportunities in Bermuda. The lecture and art show is about trying to figure out why people feel that way.”He will be entering an installation piece involving painter’s tape. He hoped that the art show would complement the lecture and help to bring in a part of the community that wouldn’t normally attend an academic discussion.“It is cross-pollination,” said Mr Smith. “People can see some visual art based on the lecture. We have taken the lecture topic and given it visual representation. We are trying to start a conversation.”Bermudian Artists Rise Up’s first exhibition was at Rock Island Coffee. ‘Not Your Nanna’s Art Show’ was a great success, according to Mr Smith.“I think what makes the group different is that we are not tied to a technique or aesthetic,” he said. “We come together for a greater good and the progress of arts in Bermuda. We use different media and different genre. We have media artists, visual artists and rappers. We are trying to make it all-inclusive. It is important to be able to commune with other artists in Bermuda.”The collective is currently planning another large art show, ‘Fetish’, on November 18 at Terceira Quarterly Associates office in Walker Arcade on Reid Street. For more information about the collective see their Facebook page or Mr Smith’s Facebook page.The forum will take place on the second floor of North Hall at the Bermuda College from 4.30pm to 6.30pm. The art show will be opened at 6.30pm and will run until November 28. For more information call 599-5005 or e-mail livin_in_luv[AT] hotmail.com.