By Doug Trumm

“This is art!?!” a confused student is heard saying at the Senior Art Exhibit at the Gorecki Gallery at CSB.

The student, skeptically pondering a mixed media project consisting of hundreds of prescription vials smattered on falling shelves and cascading to the floor, is surrounded by throngs of other potential art critics. Many of them are first-year students desperate to complete their fine arts events requirement for the year.

The first-years also swarmed to the Alice R. Rogers and Target Galleries in the Art Center at SJU where more senior artwork was on display and another FAE worker was busy swiping student IDs.

The CSB and SJU galleries exhibit the work of each of the 16 senior art majors in a variety of mediums from paintings and ceramics to video, computer art, mixed media, fashion and sculpture.

Some students were much more accepting of the adventurous nature of the senior artwork.

First-year student Andy Aebly admired Jenna Dodge’s exhibit, which portrayed a plain pot gradually morphing into an emaciated blob of clay through a series of stoneware pieces.

“The clay pots are interesting because they take a stationary medium and portray an experience” Aebly said.

Another project, by Grace Brogan, included a piece consisting of a beeswax frame hanging a yard from a wall covered in painted tree rings.

“I really like the tree cross-sections, because they have widely varied colors that together represent a beautiful landscape,” first-year student Alyssa Hoff said, adding, “when looking through the frame each person sees the landscape from a different perspective.”

First-year student Ann Koller was drawn to Lauren Sitany’s series of portraits. The paintings depicted a gambit of emotions in each portrayed person.

“I really liked the paintings, but all of the artwork was impressive,” Koller said.

The artwork is the fruit of a full year of work.

“The basic themes and goals were put together about a year ago in a thesis proposal, and I’ve been working out how to effectively make those concepts a physical reality ever since,” Brogan said.

Brogan found it challenging to bring so many abstract ideas into a physical reality amid the burden of other classwork and figuring out what comes after college.

“I am relatively happy with the finished project. I made some interesting changes and hit on a number of things I had hoped I would,” Brogan said. “I’m excited to put the project aside for a while and return to it under new circumstances.”

Steve Lemke said, “As a junior art major, I know that it represents a big step in the transition from being an art student to becoming an exhibiting artist. Throughout the process the seniors learn how to present their work in a gallery setting, form artist statements, as well as how to experiment in lighting design and curatorial layout.”

While working on her exhibit, Brogan said she learned how to persevere, offering the advice, “Keep making things!”

Lemke said, “For my campus job as gallery installationist, I’ve been working with the seniors to assist and facilitate their installation process. In doing so I’ve learned how much I appreciate their hard work. I’m sure the faculty is proud of them.”

Filed under: Arts, Variety by Doug Trumm