Senior exhibition shows graduating students’ art, sharpens career skills

Senior exhibition shows graduating students' art, sharpens career skills

Six students at Northwest Missouri State University are presenting their artwork this month in the Senior Preview Exhibition as they prepare to graduate from the University and begin their professional careers.

Sarah Sipling, an associate professor of art, organized the exhibit with this fall's graduating art education and graphic design majors. Each student contributed unique artwork to create a culminating exhibition that is meaningful for the students and faculty.

"Students each develop and exhibit a cohesive and thoughtful body of work and express their ideas in conceptual and creative ways," Sipling said. "As a faculty member who has worked with each graduating senior, I personally look forward to seeing each student's senior exhibition. The exhibitions show each student's growth as an artist and demonstrate their potential in the studio art world, professional design field or as a K-12 art teacher."

Developing exhibits at Northwest also prepares the students to be professional artists.

"Creating exhibitions on campus gives students the real-world experience as they finish their degrees and look toward their futures," Sipling said.

In addition to practicing with her artwork, McKenna Stephens, a senior art education major from Liberty, Missouri, was involved with the University's Clay Club and artist lectures, which helped sharpen her skills.

"These experiences help to hone my collaboration skills and showed me the importance of working with a team, which will help me later in my career," Stephens said.

She spent her senior year experimenting with different textures to convey her empathetic nature and passion through art.

"My ceramic artwork is based a lot around my childhood and the small details that are often overlooked, yet sentimental - the objects and moments from a time that was simpler," she said. "My work is about preserving a feeling and meaning to make the ordinary feel intimate and alive."

Like Stephens, Erica Wersching, an art education major from Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, uses materials and media to make her art feel realistic.

"The theme is the pull between attraction and danger, as well as surface and reality, and how those conflicting things connect to identity," Wersching said. "By working with mesh, pearls and spikes, I reimagine familiar things like fashion, packaging and garments to uncover the conflicts and pressures that usually stay out of sight with being a woman."

Julianna Lawrence, a graphic design major with a digital media minor from Kansas City, Missouri, says she also has sharpened her creative and leadership skills through her experiences at Northwest.

She was active in AdInk, Alpha Delta Pi, Art Club, TRIO Student Support Services and the Northwest Missourian. She also completed internships with the University's student media outlets and the Office of University Marketing and Communication.

"The significance of this exhibit stems from my deeper creative journey," Lawrence said. "Throughout my four years at Northwest, I have developed a wide range of technical and artistic skills I've applied in my internships and design work. The exhibit highlights the foundational qualities I will carry with me as I continue to grow in my creative practice."

Lawrence encourages supporting art exhibitions as every piece of artwork is unique and tells the stories behind emerging artists.

"The exhibit immerses viewers in fresh ideas, captivating visuals and surreal storytelling," she said. "It offers an opportunity to support growing creatives while gaining insight into the processes and skills behind each designer's work."

Northwest Senior Exhibitions are displayed through Dec. 12 in the Olive DeLuce Art Gallery at the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building. It is free and open to the public.

Additionally, the exhibit features work by Riley Kious, Landry Satterfield and Devin Kernes.

The gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Friday. For more information about the gallery, call 660.562.1326 or email [email protected].