Capstone projects are common for many majors at DePauw University, however, not many senior seminars culminate in sharing their work with the public.
For studio art majors, displaying their efforts is expected at the end of the year, and The Senior Art exhibition showcases the art their efforts have produced.
"As majors, we learn about a variety of media," said senior Rebecca Zucker. "Then, we hone our skills until we reach seminar." Zucker's work is featured in the exhibit.
They take a yearlong seminar in two parts, setting it apart from many of the other majors on campus. Other departments only require a one-semester seminar.
"In the first semester seminar we began developing our ideas and studio practice," Zucker said. "In the second semester we've really zeroed in on creating and exhibiting a cohesive body of work."
Each artist wrote an "artistic statement" describing his or her work, method and inspiration, as well as how they view their pieces. The statements were compiled into a packet visitors can pick up at the start of the gallery.
Zucker wrote about her decision to work with ceramics and her desire to create pieces that "hover between beauty and disgust." One of her pieces on display is a row of ceramic vertebrae with a string looping by and around them entitled "Mother."
Other work in the gallery includes paintings, sculpture, mixed media and photography. Hoang Nguyen did a series of digital photographs called "Changing Faces." Each was a picture of himself, with the face altered either digitally or with makeup, intended as a commentary on the "elusiveness of identity."
Another student artist, Tyler Davies, used mirrors in two of his pieces, and a motor in a third. His work, called "Untitled 3," uses mixed media, fabric, light, wood and a motor to show the shadow of a spinning wheel and a jerking picket fence projected from inside a cloth box.
"I loved the art show, particularly the work of Tyler Davies," first-year Kainat Akmal said. "I loved all of the different pieces that came together to create the works."
Other works featured in the exhibit are the paintings of Carrianna Arredondo and LÃnyáo Kiki Liú.
Arredondo created two series, one large and one small, that are colorful, metallic and abstract. She used acrylic paint and a variety of gold and silver media.
Liú, inspired by goats she saw on a trip to Senegal, painted two large watercolor series about greed in blue and yellow
The exhibit is open to the public until May 17 in the Richard E. Peeler Art Center. Galleries are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and on Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m.
Zucker certainly appreciates the opportunity to show her work.
"It's really phenomenal to be able to have a show like ours," said Zucker. "I couldn't feel luckier to have had the experience I've had, with the people I've worked with who taught me so much about myself and art."