Honors presentations and capstone projects are rolling around with the semester’s end coming soon. Students in the Department of Art and Design were able to display their honors projects at the Seton Gallery under the latest collection: “Insomnia: A Senior Exhibit.”
The opening of the exhibit allowed for a grand reveal of the work, with food and drinks to replenish onlookers as they admired the art. There were Insomnia cookies as well to play on the name of the collection.
As soon as you walk into the gallery there is a sign that says the show was created “in honor of the many late and sleepless nights that made this show possible,” hence the title “Insomnia.”
This exhibit celebrates the work that the artists made, which ranges from simple posters to large-scale, 3D pieces.
The largest project is a collection of furniture by Jake Puff, a graphic design major who created a chair, side table and magazine rack, which is part of “The Sustainable Cut,” a magazine that Puff created. According to Puff’s statement posted next to the project, “This project focuses on promoting sustainability by providing an alternative method of furniture production that avoids the mass production of furniture.” Each of the pieces has rounded edges and details in the plywood that was used to give a futuristic look –– appropriate for an artist looking toward the future of design.
Another standout piece is a collection of 12 dishes by Nichole Licata, an illustration major who drew animals from the yearly Chinese Zodiac calendar: a mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Licata’s statement says, “This thesis has been an opportunity to learn more about my cultural background and form a greater connection to my ancestry.” Each dish has an animal with heavily shaded details and flower branches, each dish having different flowers that correlate with the personality traits of people born under a certain animal year. The effort put into the details of this personal collection was evident in the precise lines and close shading on each dish.
Each of these students were able to put their passions and backgrounds into their creations and make something beautiful.
These were not the only pieces on display at the gallery. If you want to see the other results of these students’ hard work, check out their art at the Seton Gallery until May 10.