Eastern's Senior Art Exhibition Spotlights Graduating Student Artists

by Jordan Corey

Willimantic, CT (05/22/2019) — The versatile talents of more than 30 Eastern Connecticut State University art majors were featured in the 2019 Senior Art Exhibition. The exhibition ran from May 10-21 in the Art Gallery of the Fine Arts Instructional Center and kicked off with an opening reception on May 9.

The event, which welcomed senior artists to discuss their work with gallery visitors, represented digital art and design, painting and drawing, printmaking and sculpture concentrations. Projects ranged from animated videos to photographs and displayed cultural, academic and personal influences.

Kelsey Kirkendall '19 captured the people in her life to create "Delicate Exposure," a digital art series that was created based on a survey of friends' perceived qualities. "I really wanted to showcase my closest friends and highlight their biggest insecurities alongside the best parts of them," she said. Her goal was to explore unseen parts of being human, reinforcing openness and encouraging self-assurance.

"Everybody has their own style shown through what they're making, so it's a very diverse collection even for those of us in the same classes. That's what makes this gallery cool," said Jake Ayotte '19, another student inspired by the intricacies of humanity. His piece is a CD cover titled "VII," combining his interest in art and music in an artistic interpretation of the seven deadly sins.

"Seeing all the work of my peers come to life is great," Jevaughn Lindo '19 noted, recognizing growth brought on by artistic challenges and successes. "It's like metamorphosis." He presented an animated project, "Art Squad," which required bone animation, or giving the characters skeletons. Creative decisions were driven by the role of cartoons in his life.

Erika Groleau '19 also incorporated parts of herself into her art, producing a board game called "CAT-astrophe." She used her familiarity with different game styles and experiences as a cat owner to create it. "The best part was really showing myself that I was able to accomplish this," said Groleau, who received engaging feedback at the reception. "When I stand there, people tell me about their cats." She would like to expand the project in the future.

Aiming for a similar connection as an artist to the audience, Joshua Philippas '19 designed "Lost Looks," an affordable streetwear clothing line. "I wanted to think outside of the box and make something that people could relate to," he explained. Articles in the line include lightly colored cropped T-shirts and hoodies, achieving a relaxed but stylish appearance.

Written by Jordan Corey

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving 5,200 students annually at its Willimantic campus and satellite locations. In addition to attracting students from 160 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 33 other states and 80 other countries. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 65 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal art foundation grounded in an array of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 30 public universities in the North Region by U.S. News and World Report in its 2019 Best College ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review nine years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.