Art & design majors display senior study works
Throughout the month of April, 16 different Maryville College senior art and design majors put on shows to display the final products of their senior studies. From April 8-19, Jane Delozier, Carter Dickinson, Katherine Ebers, Hannah Hancock, Isabella Davis, and Evan Gambill all had their pieces out for viewing in the Blackberry Farms Gallery in the Clayton Center for the arts. They also had a group reception the night of April 12.
From April 22 till May 4, Nate Kiernan, Kathryn Norris, Gabby Rathmell, June Rosenbarker, Julia Sawyer, Aaron West, Joshua Lieberman, and Winston Boykin all have their works on display in the Blackberry Farm Gallery. Their group reception was held on April 29. David Peters and Clair Scott also have pieces from their senior studies on display in other locations. Peters’ designs are up for viewing in Thaw Hall, while Scott’s designs are on display at the Pub on High Street in Maryville. From graphic novels to simple designs and intricate paintings, these students have created a number of remarkable visuals.
Pieces by the following students are not pictured: Nate Kiernan, Kathryn Norris, June Rosenbarker, Aaron West, and Julia Sawyer.
Interested in the power of visuals, design major Evan Gambill looked into art therapy and other calming types of imagery. Gambill said, “My thesis show was a visual exploration of my own research into art therapy. My designs were focused on creating a calming and informative environment about the subject.” The title of his show is “Heal, Enhance, Expand.”
Art major Hannah Hancock included Bob Ross, a pop culture icon of sorts, in her senior study. “My show was on the absurdity of DIY culture and how a well-designed brand can convince the public of the authenticity of a product. It’s also about the absurdity of Bob Ross as Jesus and the public response to such an image,” said Hancock.
Design major Gabby Rathmell has found interests in sustainability and architecture. “My senior project covers sustainable urban design and why we alter our ways to be more environmentally friendly. I show how proper material usage, clean energy sources, passive energy techniques, and water conservation is sustainable,” said Rathmell.
Interested in the perceptions of LGBTQIA+ identities and appearances, art major Katherine Ebers created multiple, colorful pieces that consider those ideas. “My show was about our perception of LGBTQIA+ individuals and what we define as visually Feminine, Masculine, Heterosexual, Homosexual, and everything in between. ‘Queer Bodies’ attempts to subvert and challenge traditional roles by presenting real LGBTQIA+ identities,” said Ebers.
Primarily interested in photography, design major Winston Boykin focused his senior study on just that. “My senior thesis is about the impact that 21st-century photography has had on millennials,” said Boykin.
Design major Joshua Lieberman created a graphic novel, which he digitally illustrated. “I made a 24 page (including the cover) graphic novel called ‘Triumvirate’ about a mage whose place in the world feels bleak. He laments that mages aren’t needed like they used to be, but he runs into something that fills him with purpose,” said Lieberman.
Art major Jane Delozier crafted actual suits of armor for her senior study. Delozier said, “Self-Defense: The Metaphysical Armory Show’ is a costume design/conceptual study on armor fabrication combined with fine art imagery. Each suit represents the embodiment as well as protection from a particular danger that is either already within the human body or can be introduced non-violently to the psyche by outside influences.”
A double major in design and environmental studies, Carter Dickinson created a new sustainability plan for Lake Winne Amusement Park in Georgia. Dickinson said, “To effectively complete this I met with representatives from Dart Container and ADI, along with other researching companies … The outcome of my research allowed me to create a 3-year plan that is set to begin in Fall of 2020 under the Care Program through Dart Container.”
Art major Isabella Davis produced works reminiscent of well-known fantasy elements. “I wanted to explore concept art at first, but the more I thought about it the more I realized I needed an actual solid concept to start with. So, I used an old story I had started writing a few years ago and began writing more on it. With the writing and the art, I was able to really flesh out the characters and setting of the story to explore what concept art is,” said Davis.