Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art & Graphic Design Exhibitions

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art & Graphic Design Exhibitions

Emily Holleran

For The Clock

ejholleran@plymouth.edu

ART BY: KATE MULLISS

Starting this week, the Karl Dreup Art Gallery is featuring work from graduating studio art majors. The Silver Center for the Arts is also showcasing graduating graphic design majors’ work. Both exhibits will be up until May 13.

Studio art majors worked on a variety of mediums throughout the year, from traditional to new media processes, including paintings, prints, drawings, multimedia installation works, wall drawing installation, and new media applications. Starting this past September, the BFA Thesis students started working on the year long process of exhibiting their best work, including work from the fall and spring semesters.

Faculty advisor for the studio art students, Kimberly Ritchie, said she is most excited about seeing the BFA students respond to their work coming to fruition.

“Working with our professional level studio art students is very rewarding. They find their own unique voice within their artwork during this year. We form close working relationships throughout this experience, both as a class cohort and as student/faculty mentor,” said Ritchie. “Watching the dramatic growth from first-year students to last-semester seniors and their evolution as a person and working artist is spectacular to witness and be a part of.”

Hannah Boutin, a senior BFA student, has worked on her piece for the exhibit since January. Focused on large oil paintings, she explored the biological similarities between humans and nature. She said she was fascinated by the subtle connections between both, and how they interact with one another.

“There is such a rich culture in the arts and there are so many opportunities to learn from different artists. It is important, as an artist, to put themselves out there and create work that they are invested in without fear of scrutiny,” said Boutin.

On display in the Silver Center, graphic design majors have created and defined a fictitious company. They spent the past year producing a broad range of applications including logos, stationary, advertisement, posters, pamphlets, and publications. Adam Toomey was thinking about his project last year, towards the end of the summer. He said that the challenging part was actually picking a company, not coming up with content for the company itself. Once he came up with the idea for his company, Gateway Amplification Effects, he said it was easy to come up with his products and other related items.

“Graphic design can take you to places you’d never expect, and that just because you’re a graphic designer, doesn’t mean you can’t jump into a studio art medium as well,” said Toomey. “Last year, I ended up designing a run of prints for a band to sell on tour, and then ended up getting commissioned to do the album artwork for that band's new release. This was my favorite band when I was in high school, so it’s kind of surreal. You just have to put your stuff out there and make the right friends.” The BFA exhibit is located in the Karl Drerup Art Gallery. The graphic design exhibit is in the lobby of the Silver Center for the Arts. Both exhibits will be up until May 13. Visit http://www.plymouth.edu/gallery for more information.

ART BY: JOE MURPHY