Monday marked the commencement of the Mississippi State University Bachelor of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition featuring visual art from 11 graduating seniors. The art is now displayed in two locations on campus – McComas Hall’s Department of Art Gallery, located on the ground floor of the building and the Colvard Student Union Art Gallery, located on the second floor – and will be on public display until Dec. 2.
The art consists of ceramics, drawings, paintings, photographic images and sculptures from the following senior art department majors, whose concentrations are in parentheses:
• Whitney Love (ceramics)
• Alice “Isa” Stratton (painting)
• Anna Dahlem (drawing)
• Taylor Shaw (painting)
• Lauren Cowan (photography)
• Manuel “Manny” Ashton (sculpture)
• Charles Bolden (drawing)
• Adam Trest (painting)
• Sarah Powers (painting)
• Grahame Snider (photography)
• Brandon Riesgo (sculpture and graphic design)
Inspiration for each student’s piece comes from a wide range of ideas and experiences. Sculptor Manuel “Manny” Ashton said his family is the reason behind his wood sculptures.
“My piece comes from my personal relationship with my family, I pulled a lot from my childhood,” he said. “It comes from seeing the abuse my mother and I went through during [that time].”
On the other end of the spectrum is painter Taylor Shaw’s inspiration for his skull-based project.
“I would say I’m inspired by simple American badassery ? tattoos, guns, beers, fights and Harleys,” he said.
A reception honoring the artists for all the hard work and imagination they put into their projects will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in both gallery locations on Nov. 12, and is free to all those who wish to come.
“Everyone has put a ton of time into their individual work and into putting the exhibition together,” Shaw said. “It’s been really stressful but the outcome is an amazing show with tons of variety.”
In a press release issued by the university, art department faculty coordinator Marita Gootee said the thesis exhibition is a requirement for graduation from the College of Architecture, Art and Design.
“The exhibition illuminates unexpected facets of the familiar, the extraordinary within the ordinary,” Gootee said. “The artworks play with the traditional notion that art should be incorporated into everyday life, both in its content and its medium.”
Return to reflector-online.com Friday for a recap of the exhibition’s reception along with a slideshow of all the featured artists’ work in both galleries.