Graduating art seniors are nearing the end of their career at the university. After years of hard work and accomplishments, they are ready to show their work to the public.

The Visual Art and Design Fall 2016 Senior Exhibition will be held Nov. 22 through Dec. 10 in the Contemporary Art Gallery on campus. Students, faculty, guests and the public are welcomed to the opening reception, which will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 22  from 5 to 7 p.m.

Graduating art students will be exhibiting their work throughout their undergraduate career here at the university. Some of the featured artists are Akilah Spears, concentrating in ceramics and painting, Sarah Amacker, concentrating in graphic design and Jessica Firmin, concentrating in photography.

Spears will be exhibiting two sets of paintings and artwork from her ceramics collection. 

“For my senior project I have made two sets of moral diptych paintings, two large single paintings and more than 15 large ceramic pieces,” said Spears. “The objective is to see the contrast between multiple paintings done over an extended semester, as well as incorporate the knowledge I have gained from ceramics to showcase my talents in art. The themes will differ, but show my overall growth in painting.”

Although Spears does ceramics and paintings her designs are not the focal point of her work. 

“My paintings and ceramic pieces will be modeled after four main designs, but the ideas behind the pieces are not the focal point of my work,” said Spears. “The focal point of my work are the techniques I use to communicate my ideas. The theme of one diptych is  rebuilding, mortality and immortality. Rebuilding is also a consideration in one of my stand-alone pieces. The theme for the second stand alone piece as well as the other diptych is struggle and acceptance.”  

Spears wants viewers to think about what materials she used, what is seen in her work, what elements are used and how it was created.

“I will not give an underlying meaning to my art because art is meant to be expressive and I do not desire to force what I perceive my art to mean on my viewers,” said Spears. “Therefore, I wish the viewer to think about these key facts about my work: the material used, what is seen, what elements are used and how it was created.”

Amacker enjoys graphic design because it leads her to think beyond her own life experiences and how others will interact with her work.

“Graphic design appeals to me because it requires me to think outside of my own experience and research how others will interact with what I create,” said Amacker. “I also enjoy the wide range of things you can design with one idea or concept: logo, packaging, printed collateral, signage, etc. This makes the process engaging and challenges my creativity constantly.” 

Amacker revealed that she is most interested on how the effect of typography and imagery impacts the viewer. She feels using the approach of mixed media and color gives her work an edge and makes it more interesting to the viewer. 

“As a designer, I am personally interested in how imagery and typography communicate ideas to the viewer and how each can work together or stand alone to accomplish this purpose,” said Amacker. “My design style is very disciplined and detail-oriented and my process is similar to how I work as an artist. I enjoy mixing media, whether it’s digital or handmade elements, along with color to relate content. This approach gives my designs an edge by demonstrating my various skills as both an artist and designer making my work more impacting on the viewer.” 

Firmin is basing her senior exhibit on her photography series entitled “The Phoenix Project” that focuses on individuals who suffer from self-harming.

“The Phoenix Project is an ongoing photographic series focusing on self-harm recovery,” said Firmin. “Each year, one in five females and one in seven males will engage in self-harm. Most begin self-harming starting in their teens or preteens with two million cases reported each year in the United States alone. Self-harm has always been an issue that we as a society are hesitant to talk about. The topic is one that is avoided within our families and within society as a whole.”

Firmin is focusing on the scars that the individuals have left from their past. Her intention is for viewers to thinks about the issue and bring it to a conversation.

“I am photographing people who have recovered from self harm,” said Firmin. “My subjects are anonymous. They are students, parents and strangers. Some of my subjects I was familiar before starting, others have contacted me online through social media. The images I take focus on the scars that they bear because they are a visible reflection of the process of recovery. I leave my subjects’ faces out, for both their comfort, and in an attempt to emphasize the point that these images could be of anyone. My intention is not to disturb viewers, but to force them to think about the issue and hopefully start a conversation.”

For more information, contact the gallery at 985-549-5080 or visit their website on the university webpage.

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Editor's Note: Content has been changed to correct information.