The MSU fine arts is hosting an art gallery in McComas Hall for eight of its graduating students. The exhibition, titled “Untitled #8,” gives students a chance to showcase artwork they have been working on all semester.
Exhibition coordinator Robert Ring said the exhibition is extremely important to the students.
“This exhibit is a requirement,” Ring said. “All of the [fine art] students work the entire semester on their artwork for the exhibition.”
Art instructor and gallery director William Andrews said the students must participate in the exhibition for graduation.
“This exhibition is a requirement for graduation for the Bachelors of Fine Arts so this is very beneficial for the students,” Andrews said. “The BFA Thesis Exhibition in the fall and spring are two of the most important events of the year.”
The purpose of the BFA Thesis Exhibition is for the students create and distill their own ideas into a displayed body of work.
Senior art major Belle Naugher said the exhibit allows seniors to display the talents and skills that they have developed while attending MSU.
“We have our thesis show really to everyone what we have learned,” she said. “I did a lot of watercolor paintings. I have four pieces in, but usually [the amount a student enters] depends on the gallery space and the size of the artwork for each student.”
Senior art major Shelly Scott also has four sculptures in the exhibit.
“I went in the woods and collected objects and then collected wood around the shop,” she said. “[I then] configured them into these sculptures.”
Scott said the exhibit is a big achievement for her.
“We build up all of these skills over the four years that we are here, and the work we do over this semester gives us a chance to show that off,” Scott said. “It is really a milestone for us and validates us as artists.”
Students with work displayed in “Untitled #8” will present a gallery talk at the exhibit on Friday from noon to 1 p.m. Each student will be available to answer any questions concerning their work.
“We will be explaining the process and what we went through to get to the point to do our thesis work,” Naugher said. “We will be talking about how we did our research and what all we had to do.”
Exhibition attendance has been strong since the opening reception of the display, Andrews said.
“It has had a fantastic turnout,” Andrews said. “There was only standing room for the reception. We are definitely hoping people will come back for a second and third look at all the artwork.”
Ring said the gallery has received a steady stream of visitors during regular weekly hours.
“Some may be art students coming to do reports for class, or family members and friends,” Ring said, “but it think the turn out has been pretty good.”
The exhibition will continue through today in the McComas gallery from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“Untitled 8” is sponsored by the fine arts department and the College of Architecture, Art, and Design.