‘The Augustana Senior Show’ at Eide/Dalrymple Gallery to Celebrate Eight Graduating Artists

The Eide/Dalrymple Gallery at Augustana opens "Surface: The Augustana Senior Show," which will be on view Thursday, April 30, through Saturday, May 23 - Augustana's commencement. A gallery reception will take place on Friday, May 1, from 7-9 p.m., with awards and graduating artist talks at 7:30 p.m.

"The Augustana Senior Show" celebrates graduating art majors with their senior portfolios. On exhibit will be a wide variety of works, including ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, painting, drawing, digital photography and graphic design. Beyond the diversity of mediums, each of the eight graduating seniors bring their own unique approaches to their art making - informed by their wide range of second majors, minors and extracurricular activities that formed their liberal arts education.

"'The Augustana Senior Show' is the capstone to the Augustana art major, with the path to this moment distinct for each of these eight artists. What unites them is not a shared style, but a shared commitment to growth, inquiry and making," said Director of the Eide/Dalrymple Gallery and Professor of Art Dr. Linday Twa.

The Augustana Art Department is proud to present the following graduating artists:

• Susu Azez, of Sioux Falls; Bachelor of Arts in art
• Bailey Berghult of Elk Point, South Dakota; Bachelor of Arts in art and marketing
• Ava Brandt, of Tabor, South Dakota; Bachelor of Arts in art, religion and philosophy
• Nick Doby, of Yankton, South Dakota; Bachelor of Fine Arts in drawing
• Willow Fluent, of Lawton, Iowa; Bachelor of Arts in art and mathematics (pre-architecture)
• Jake Pecina, of Dallas, Texas; Bachelor of Arts in art and mathematics (pre-architecture)
• Em Powers, of Cherry Point, North Carolina; Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and drawing
• Genevieve Rolfs, of Luverne, Minnesota; Bachelor of Arts in art

"I was recruited to play football here, and I came because Augustana had a high-level football team and great academics," noted Jake Pecina '26, kicker for Augustana Football, who is double majoring in art and mathematics.

At AU, Pecina found that studying art allowed him to build relationships with faculty.

"They really get to know who you are and what your story is. They are always helping you to be the best version of yourself. There is a wide range of knowledge within our faculty that helps diversify you as an artist," said Pecina.

Ema Powers '26 is earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree with emphases in painting and drawing. She will attend graduate school at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design next fall, pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in mixed media.

"The opportunities to work closely with successful artists - our art professors - and meet visiting artists at gallery talks deeply shaped my experience. So much of my work stems from being challenged to think critically and create intentionally," agreed Powers.

Ava Brandt '26 is a Civitas Honors student triple majoring in art, religion and philosophy with a minor in business administration.

"The interdisciplinary nature of my education has shaped both how I think and how I make art," said Brandt. "Courses in philosophy, religion, history, government, business, sciences and the humanities have taught me that interpretation matters - that our reading of an image, an idea, a body or a life cannot be purely objective. As I move on to law school, this understanding will remain central: art does not compete with intellectual life, but deepens it."

"The Augustana Senior Show" is generously sponsored by the families of Palmer Eide and Ogden Dalrymple. For more information about the Augustana Art Department and its programs, visit augie.edu/ArtDepartment.

About the Eide/Dalrymple Gallery

As a part of Augustana University, the mission of the Eide/Dalrymple Gallery is to contribute to the educational and cultural vitality of the university, surrounding community and state of South Dakota. The Eide/Dalrymple Gallery inspires the artists of today and tomorrow, and serves as a resource for teaching and promoting life-long learning through its permanent collection and temporary exhibition program with accompanying artist visits, gallery talks and educational materials.

The Eide/Dalrymple Gallery is named after Palmer Eide and Ogden Dalrymple, pioneering Augustana professors emeriti of art. Many of their collaborative works are spread throughout the campus.

The Eide/Dalrymple Gallery is located at 30th Street and Grange Avenue, in the Center for Visual Arts at Augustana. The gallery is open to the public and free of charge. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Saturdays, from 1-4 p.m.