On Tuesday, April 1, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. students and community members of Southern Utah University gathered at the Southern Utah Museum of Art to celebrate the top graduate students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program.
In conjunction with SUU’s Festival of Excellence, outstanding students were invited to give a 10-15 minute presentation on their artwork in the “Sublime” exhibition. Students shared insights on their sources of inspiration, the creative process and the message behind their pieces.
“We could do whatever we wanted and what we felt was important to us. That’s what the motivation for our professors was, to make something that you want to do, not something to sell.” said Kinly Walker, recipient of the Photography Top Graduate Award. “That’s why in talking to my mentor and planning out the exhibition, I was able to hone in on this idea of self-portrait.”
Walker’s project is a photo series entitled “Changes.” Through four black-and-white digital photographs printed on silk fabric, she aims to show a raw side of photography by using a lot of movement, symbolizing the constancy of change.
Along the same theme, Reina Kropf, recipient of the Ceramic Top Graduate Award, depicted her personal journey through ceramic sculptures. Her project “Here Are Two of Me,” showcases two sculptures illustrating her past and future selves. The quilt beneath them represents the various experiences that have shaped her life.
Drawing inspiration from their surroundings, including outdoors, family, religion and more, each of the works in this exhibition encompasses a vast range of media and subject matter. The presentations were pursued throughout the museum’s galleries, allowing the public to observe and engage in discussions with the artists.
“I have been looking at my work for six-eight months straight and I can’t tell if it’s good or not because it’s all I know,” said Kropf. “It feels very vulnerable to put it in front of all these people but with the feedback I’ve been getting, it’s also really rewarding to hear validation.”
The senior BFA project is one of the final assignments for SUU art majors. Students typically work on their projects from the beginning of the academic year until the exhibition and dedicate significant effort to their creations.
These projects and others can be viewed by the public for free Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until April 26.
To learn more about “Sublime” or upcoming exhibitions, visit SUMA’s website.
Author: Fanny Felixine
Photographer: Gannon Lovisa
Editor: Tessa Cheshire
arts@suunews.net
