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Not JUST Refrigerator Art
Don’t miss the incredible Student Art Major Exhibit on display in the Neil Britton Gallery through May 13
University News | April 20, 2023
One step into the Neil Britton Gallery this semester and you immediately sense that this is “Not JUST refrigerator art.” The impressive Art Major Exhibition, hosted by VWU’s Fine Arts Department, touts the work created by the talented students in Professor of Art Sharon Swift’s course, Art 450. Exhibiting artists include Britni Arrington, Kathryn Baca, Erness Anne Deseo, Haley Parshall, Carley Tantlinger, Melissa Ward, Alaycia Williams, and Kara Young.
The student art majors were on hand to share their creations with the campus community, family and friends during the April 17 opening reception for the exhibit. They will also be in the gallery to discuss their work during the upcoming Academic Symposium, set for April 27.
“All of the artworks on display have been created this year for the exhibit,” Alaycia Williams said. “Ceramics, photography, mixed media sculpture, pastels and watercolors are all included in this exhibition.”
Williams said the class worked together to develop the name, "Not JUST Refrigerator Art," during a brainstorming session. They felt that the title reflected the artists’ growth in skills and experience.
“The show grows out of the ART 444 Research course in the fall and the ART 450 capstone course in the spring,” Swift explained. “All of the visual art faculty meet with the students in group critiques four times during the academic year and serve as technical resource contacts, depending on the medium they each select for their projects. In addition, each student meets individually with the art historian for guidance in their relevant art history research.”
The art majors have many requirements to meet leading up to the show, Swift said. In the fall they must make a proposal for a studio project to even be accepted into the final course. They also make other formal presentations and write a 10-page research paper.
“The reception and gallery exhibition is the fun, one might say, glamorous part, but the students literally spend eight months turning their approved concepts into finished, ready-to-present work.”
One of the unique aspects of this showcase, Swift notes, is that the students were fully involved in preparing the exhibition. They installed their artwork, created the gallery signage and the publicity, and organized the opening reception.
“It is always exciting to see the show come together after months of work!”
Visit the Neil Britton Gallery in Hofheimer Library through May 13 to enjoy the work of these exhibiting student artists:
Kathryn Baca: "(Home)ostasis" is a digital photography project that portrays individuals overcoming imbalanced and difficult past homes to find balance and stability.
Melissa Ward: "Picking Moments" is an art project dedicated to her father who has ALS. The project showcases blue cornflowers drawn with soft pastels, representing positive family memories. Viewers can take home crepe paper flowers, each representing a cherished moment with her father. The project aims to raise awareness about ALS and encourage people to focus on positivity.
Haley Parshall: Haley Parshall's ceramic art uses porcelain to create small, functional vessels with sculptural elements of marine life. Hand-sculpted details and realistic glaze colors make the pieces look organic. She hopes to inspire people to protect the oceans and show that there's always another way to pursue one's passions.
Erness Anne Deseo: "Internal Battles" features black and white photo-montages of models depicting various anxiety disorders. The scratched and combined photos with common phrases represent the chaos in an anxious mind, and the use of black clothing symbolizes pain and suffering. The aim of the project is to raise awareness and make visible the invisible internal battles of anxiety.
Carley Tatlinger: Carley Tantlinger explores floral forms in her paintings. The flowers are not hyper-realistic but have added detail to create depth and dimension. The backgrounds are created using splatter painting and dripping water and pigment to add visual interest while keeping the floral forms the primary focus.
Alaycia Williams: Alaycia Williams' exhibit features abstract clay sculptures with simplified shapes highlighting the curves of the body. The project aims to showcase the beauty of the sculptures and provide enjoyment to viewers.
Britni Arrington: Using the medium wheel-thrown ceramic sculptures, "Roll With Me" represents the artist's battle to overcome challenges and showcases her artistic growth through experimentation with various designs and textures. It is a personal expression of her successes, struggles turned successes, and happy accidents.
Kara Young: Using stoneware clay and aluminum to create mixed-media sculptures, Kara’s work depicts themes such as Escapism and Submerged.
Learn more about the Neil Britton Gallery at VWU.