Student exhibition opens April 21 in Marion Art Gallery

“Vantage Point,” the Department of Visual Arts and New Media’s spring senior show, opens at the Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery at SUNY Fredonia with a reception on Friday, April 21, from 6 to 9 p.m.

On display through Sunday, May 9, the exhibition includes artwork by 14 senior art majors.

The artists are: Valerie Barbera (Animation and Illustration), Morgan Byham (Animation and Illustration), Katelyn Davis (Graphic Design, and Animation and Illustration), Chris Dorner (Drawing and Painting), Rachel Gonzalez (Graphic Design), Rex Grant (Film and Video), DJ Henderson (Photography), Allison Kohl (Photography), Shengyang “Simon” Liu (Graphic Design), Lochlainn O’Connell (Animation and Illustration), Patch Parsons (Animation and Illustration), Angelo Petrilli (Animation and Illustration), Bijen Tandukar (Animation and Illustration), and Savi Williams (Animation and Illustration, and Ceramics).

The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. The Marion Art Gallery is located on the main level of Rockefeller Arts Center.

• In the animated short film “An Acorn Adventure” by Valerie Barbera (hometown - Bellmore) a mushroom girl tries to get an acorn back from a squirrel and discovers an old man in a log who carves acorns into masks.
• Morgan Byham’s (hometown - Dunkirk) illustration project consists of six greeting cards that are inspired by old Disney films and the autumn season.
• Using the diversity of species living in Fredonia’s Forest Hill Cemetery, Katelyn Davis (hometown - Williamsville) addresses the intersection between humans and nature with posters and app designs.
• Chris Dorner (hometown – Lancaster, N.Y.) writes of his landscape drawings and paintings, “These are works to get lost in, vague enough for your mind to drift off but familiar enough to almost get a sense of nostalgia and reminiscence.”
• Rachel Gonzalez’s (hometown – Lancaster, N.Y.) app design focuses on finding and filtering through disability friendly places and events.
• With his video installation, including interviews of family members, Rex Grant (hometown - Bronx) addresses the absence of personal space growing up in a house which his father rented to TV and film crews.
• DJ Henderson (hometown - Bronx) shows off his photography skills and his friend’s streetwear clothing line in a series of 13 photographs.
• Allison Kohl (hometown - Buffalo) explores the feeling of abandonment and the beauty in decay with photographs of desolate sites and deserted things.
• In the mixed media installation “100% Nutrition,” Shengyang “Simon” Liu (hometown - Shandong, China) explores food production in the future, which includes special nutrition from sources unfamiliar to most Western cultures.
• Lochlainn O’Connell’s (hometown - Manhattan) animation is an exploration and application of fundamental animation skills focusing on character animation such as the walk and sword pull of a knight.
• In their fantasy/horror webcomic “Deep Creek Exclusion Zone” by Patch Parsons (Geneva), the troubled teen protagonist Nev ventures into the nearby exclusion zone. The story delves into topics like society’s attitude towards troubled youth and the way environmental damage affects poor communities.
• Angelo Petrilli’s (hometown - Binghamton) paintings “Nimbia,” “Sigurros,” and “Dozah” depict civilizations from his fictional story titled Seimondi.
• Bijen Tandukar’s (hometown - Kathmandu, Nepal) digital illustrations explore the myth of Lakhe, a flesh-eating demon that is worshipped as a protector.
• Savi Williams (hometown - Syracuse) addresses the issue of black face in their animation short; after terrorizing a little girl, the boy faces the consequences of his actions from a magical being who knows voodoo.

Gallery hours are noon to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, and noon to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, contact gallery director Barbara Räcker at (716) 673-4897 or email