The first senior art exhibition of the spring semester will feature the work of nine graduating majors from the Department of Visual Arts and New Media.
Titled “Paraskevidekatriaphobia,” which means fear of Friday the 13th, the exhibition opens in the Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery with a reception from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 13. It will be on display through April 19. The reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.
The Marion Art Gallery is located on the main level of the Michael C. Rockefeller Arts Center on the Fredonia campus, with closest access from the Symphony Circle side of the building.
Participating artists are: Joelle Beaulieu, a graphic design from Syracuse; Erin Canniff, an illustration major from New York City; Courtney Cutter, a photography major from Clarence; Nick Deluca, a painting major from Yorktown Heights; Katie Dugos, a graphic design major from Kenmore; Katelyn Killoran, a graphic design major from Syracuse; Elizabeth Levengood, a graphic design major from Rochester, N.Y.; Dakota Marquard, an illustration major from Greece, N.Y., and Andrew Mignoli, a sculpture major from Fredonia.
Ms. Beaulieu uses her graphic design skills to create a visual representation of the amount of medication one has to take when diagnosed with certain mental disorders, as well as facts about the disorder from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Psychology.
In her painting series titled “Not Lonely,” Mr. Canniff creates an “erRATic grrls zine” to tell the story of her rats, Leia and Ripley. The zine (homemade publication) aesthetic and Riot Grrl culture influenced Canniff’s series. Early participants in the 1990s punk feminist movement Riot Grrl deliberately used “grrrl” instead of “girl” to remove the passive association with the word “girl” as well as to display the anger behind the movement, reminiscent of a growl.
Ms. Cutter created a photographic portrait series of five different women. Inspired by a 1950s aesthetic, these photographs address female stereotyping in mass media.
Mr. Deluca’s paintings on panel focus on objects from his childhood that have a wistful appeal to an entire generation.
Ms. Dugos created an interactive map of existing and proposed bike paths through Buffalo. Users can choose themed bike trips around the city with stops to view important architecture or gardens and parks, or to buy a variety of foods.
Ms. Killoran designed a set of interactive posters to convince the viewer that sleep is essential for mental, physical and emotional well being. The work explores how scientific information can be displayed in a visually interesting way.
Ms. Levengood explores self-expression as it relates to the process of dyeing one’s hair. She created packaging for three colors of hair dye with the brand name “Dye-chotomy.” She was influenced by Pablo Picasso’s statement, “Never permit a dichotomy to rule your life, a dichotomy in which you hate what you do so you can have pleasure in your spare time. Look for a situation in which your work will give you as much happiness as your spare time.” She interprets the quote to mean don’t let outside opinions or pressures dictate how you live.
In “The Blind Sniper,” Ms. Marquardt demonstrates the importance and humanistic appeal of concept art in the creation of even a single character for an illustration or animation. Instead of hiding mistakes made throughout the complex process, all the works that went into the finished imagery are on display.
In his first series of sculptures, Mr. Mignoli evokes a visceral awareness of the human presence with non-representational objects made of domestic and industrial materials. In another series he uses representations of culturally common objects and surfaces to champion a sense of the ordinary.
The senior exhibition is intended as a culminating experience for bachelor of fine arts and bachelor of arts students in the Department of Visual Arts and New Media. The students integrate their four-year experience around a coherent body of work or summative project. It is an opportunity for students from various studio areas to collaborate and bring together their creative work within a critical forum.
“Paraskevidekatriaphobia” is supported by the Department of Visual Arts and New Media, Fredonia College Foundation’s Cathy and Jesse Marion Endowment Fund and Friends of Rockefeller Arts Center.
Gallery hours are: Tuesday through Thursday noon to 4 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 6 p.m., and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. The gallery is closed on Mondays. For more information or a group tour of the exhibition, contact gallery director Barbara Räcker at 716-673-4897 or email.
