Proud work, emotional pieces and years of practice are being showcased in the senior art show “Through Our Eyes,” displayed in Utah Tech University’s North Commons Building April 10 – 29.
The art department has been putting on senior art shows for around 15 years for their capstone course. The show is open to the public to admire the art, sculptures, ceramics and photography.
Glenn Webb, the associate dean of the College of the Arts who is involved with all aspects of the art department, said: “It’s always fun to visit the galleries on campus to see student work. The end-of-year shows tend to be full of variety and excellence. It’s great to see talent developed.”
Thyme Powell is a senior art major from Syracuse. Powell is one of the artists featured, and has four pieces showcased in the show — all done with oil paint on canvas.
“I paint with thin, expressive strokes so the previous layers show through and build up,” Powell said. “I’ll start with a layer of red and, as I paint, allow some of it to show through, giving parts of the painting a glowing effect. I want the people in my paintings to feel vibrant, passionate and full of life.”
Powell’s works in the show art are titled “Orbit,” “Spark,” “Gravity” and “Collide.” Powell uses her works and talent to tell a story.
“I like to show this by painting romantic scenes where there’s a sense of vulnerability and passion,” Powell said. “In this series, the paintings tell a story of a first kiss on a date. We go through different scenes and locations throughout St. George Ancestral Square as the story develops. By looking at the body language and their surroundings, we can see the tension build and finally, ‘Collide.’”
Malea Shelline is a senior art major from St. George. Shelline has a few pieces on display that she created using water media and ink, incorporating childlike joy and nature.
“To see my pieces come together and having others react to my work has been so inspiring to me,” Shelline said. “The support from family, friends and fellow students, as well as the mentorship from my professors, has all culminated into this show, and it has been incredible. I am grateful for this opportunity and will cherish this moment.”
These artists put many hours into creating their pieces to be put on display.
“It was a winding road of discovery to finish these pieces,” Shelline said. “Each one took me at least four hours to paint, but that did not include the time taken to find the reference photos, prep the paper, get feedback, rework the pieces to incorporate the feedback, add a protectant to the surfaces, and to frame them. All things considered, it took dozens and dozens of hours.”
Ellie Lofting, a senior art major from St. George, has a photo series made of black and white film and dark room prints on display titled, “The Desire For Human Connections.”
“This series was inspired by a personal story of desire and healing and how important connection is,” Lofting said. “I wanted to tell the story of how the absence of human connection is just as powerful as the presence.”
These seniors have spent years perfecting their craft and are able to showcase their work, ending their college journey.
“This is the second series I’ve ever created, and it was so satisfying to see it all come together and get to share it with my friends and family on opening night,” Powell said. “At the same time, everyone had the same question that evening, ‘What are you going to do now?’ Well how about this?’ Who the hell knows? I may not have a perfect roadmap but I know this, I will always create and I can’t wait to see where this adventure leads me next.”
