Senior art majors get to show off their hard work and the skills they have mastered during their time at the university at the upcoming annual Fall Senior Art Exhibit.
The exhibit will take place on Nov. 20 through Dec. 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Contemporary Art Gallery. It will be featuring works of the graduating seniors of the art department.
The works displayed will vary in medium, style and overall message of the piece.
Among the many pieces displayed, one piece is showcased in an entire room. All the walls are covered with bright colors and intricate designs, some of which have a 3-D effect.
Kevin Martino was able to use his affinity for creating street art to add a unique contribution to the exhibit.
“I’m inspired by the ways you can turn it [street art] into different medium,” said Martino. “You can make a flat wall look 3-D. You can make a 3-D wall look flat.”
After graduation, Martino plans to set up his printing business, which he purchased at the beginning of the year. He hopes to some day come out with his own brand of spray paint.
Evan Thomas, a major in visual arts with a concentration in photography, will be displaying photographs of his hometown, serving as the metaphor for the “dying small town.” He wanted to capture the abandonment of local businesses and “mom and pop” stores.
“My inspiration is Robert Grant,” said Thomas. “He got a grant and traveled around America. He wasn’t from this country. He was from, I believe, Poland. He was looking at America from an outsider’s perspective. He provided this really interesting view of the problems in our country. I’ve always been really inspired by just how honest he was with his work. He didn’t try to create anything, so I try to do that same sort of thing by documenting my town.”
In addition to paintings, ceramics and photography, there will also be pieces with media animation. Kevin Charles focused on visualizing existential debates and depicting it in individual form by utilizing the skills he has learned from his concentration in media and animation. His goal was to transform the emotion of frustration into something that can be seen by the viewer.
“The research was from myself,” said Charles. “It was from my own internal questions about existence, so that inspiration was instilled in myself. I went out to the Internet and started doing some research in there about different topics. Then, I became frustrated and confused, and that’s what in turn led me to doing the project the way I did.”
For more information about the exhibit, contact the gallery staff at 985-549-5080.