In addition to paintings and sculptures on display in the Sheehan Gallery in Olin Hall, visitors are treated to what initially appears as broken bottles on the ground, bags of confetti, and a bubble-like contraption that hangs from a ceiling, in which visitors must kneel and insert their head.
These pieces are parts of larger-scale senior art theses that have been on display since the opening reception Friday, April 24, at 5 p.m. Thirteen art majors had their works on display at the exhibition.
The 13 students represent the first class of graduating seniors whose final projects have been created in the Fouts Center for the Visual Arts (FCVA). Art majors echo a general appreciation for the new art building, as well as a recognition that their final products would have been different were they created in different spaces.
“The building is wonderful,” said senior art major Rachel Stein. “Having so many resources makes creating art a much smoother process. In all the years I have been doing art I have never had access to such a beautiful space.”
Art majors said that they appreciated having their own personal studio spaces, which they chose at the beginning of the academic year. They also see a wide open future available for the building.
“The new art complex houses an infinite amount of possibilities,” said fellow art major Kevin Booth. He added: “Thank you to all the people that made the building the way it is.”
Assistant Art Professor Michelle Acuff believes that the FCVA will shape future generations of art students and theses.
“The FCVA is a huge and crucial resource for the students. It has the potential to generate community, inspire more risk-taking and take students into deeper places with their work. I’m seeing this start to happen with this first senior class,” Acuff said.
Acuff, in conjunction with Art Professor Alex Herzog, instructed the art majors in their senior year class requirement of Senior Seminar in the Fall and Senior Thesis in the Spring, respectively. As Acuff puts it, the class focuses on establishing an intellectual, historical and contemporary foundation for students to consider their own artwork.
In their own words: art majors on their theses
KEVIN BOOTH:
“My thesis makes use of the overwhelming energy that surrounds my personal space when inspired by connections to specific environments and people. My aim is to create a space for reflection upon the places people inhabit and how individuals in these shared spaces interact materially and spiritually.”
VANESSA JOHNSON:
“I explore our image-based consumer culture through the juxtaposition and re-appropriation of images. Essentially my paintings pose questions, or attempt to reveal, some of the processes or realities I find get overlooked, distorted or completely disregarded in our culture. I want to look at what’s behind the constructed images, the advertisements, and the media stories we are bombarded with on a daily basis.”
RACHEL STEIN:
“Creating a body of work is really hard! My piece is definitely a product of my own experiences; there are themes from many aspects of my life, including my other focus of study which is psychology.”
Seniors began considering their theses and experimenting in the fall, but were not expected to begin work on their final theses until this semester. Seniors were allowed to install their theses in Sheehan Gallery the Sunday before the Saturday opening, which proved problematic for some art majors. Vanessa Johnson, who did not paint on canvas but on a panel surface, worried about the fragility of her thesis when transporting from FCVA to Olin. Brett Muckler ran into a problem when he realized he would not be able to write in graphite on the gallery walls, so he had to use a different method: “the obsolete type-writer on one-side-used paper stuck to the walls with chewing gum from my mouth.”
All in all, seniors describe the event itself as running smoothly, and as a great final product.
“I am impressed, and incredibly proud of everyone. I consider it a privilege to have been able to work alongside everyone over the course of the year. I think we as a group really came together and produced some great pieces of work,” said Johnson.
“It is fascinating, what people are interested in, and what they love. The work of the other seniors is beautiful to me, and very professional-looking. It could stand in galleries I have visited around the country,” said Muckler, echoing Johnson’s sentiments.
The reception was preceded with a Perry Award Lecture by artist Cristin Millett, who is widely known for her work in sculpture. Millett, who is currently an art professor at Penn State School of Visual Arts, spoke about her own artwork and methods of installation. Her lecture, according to attendees, was light and humorous.
“The Perry Lecture and Awards give a professional and external perspective on the work,” Acuff. “The students have the opportunity to discuss their work with an active and established artist. For those seeking to go on into a graduate program, this is especially useful.”
