The semester-long projects of Mississippi State University senior art majors were unveiled in the second floor of the Union on Thursday.
“Diplopia,” the annual exhibition sponsored by the art department, showcased the creativity of its graduating students, including Katherine Holmes, Zachry Ashmore and Brad Coleman.
An extension of the showcase is located in McComas Hall, containing the artistry of six other students.
The showcase attracted a sizeable audience of students, parents, faculty and enthusiasts. The photography, sculptures and drawings of the talented students evoked intrigued and admiring reactions from gallery viewers.
“I liked Katherine Holmes’ photography,” freshman psychology major Brianne Ellingson said. “I thought it was intriguingly eerie and sort of reminded me of a docile poltergeist.”
Junior graphic design major
Rebekah Trotter was equally impressed
and awed by the craftsmanship
of Brad Coleman’s
drums.
“They’re some of the most
unique musical instruments I’ve
ever seen,” she said after inspecting
the percussive statue called
“Rudiment.” “They [seem like] a
combination of tribal inspiration
and modern-day innovation.”
Not only did the students’
works display an entire semester
of creative effort mandated by
the arts department, they also
portrayed progress made toward
their dreams of making art a
career.
Brad Coleman, who produced
the aforementioned drums for
the exhibition, has always known
music and art are his calling.
“Music has always been a way
to express myself artistically,”
Coleman said. “Drums are supposed
to be functional, but I
wanted to give them a unique,
[artistic] style.”
In addition to pursuing an artistic
career, these gifted students
have other creative interests, including
film and production as
well as exploring other inventive
mediums.
“When I draw, I feel I’m
bringing the picture out of the
paper, revealing it,” Ashmore
said of his extremely detailed
colored pencil drawing on black
paper. His innovative ideas in his
works sparked large interest from
attendees.
“Diplopia” has been a longstanding
staple in the curriculum
for fine arts majors here at Mississippi
State. The exhibition will
remain on display until Dec. 2 in
the Union.
According to the students involved,
this showcase helps get
the word out about the university’s
artistic abilities. The various
works are also available for
purchase, ranging from $300 to
$1,000.