BFA, MFA students display work at Grunwald Gallery

The Grunwald Gallery in the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts maintained a welcoming atmosphere for visitors to view masters and bachelors of fine arts students’ thesis projects.

A large structure stretching around half the room greeted viewers at the gallery entrance. Individuals were invited to examine artwork created by David Katz, a graduate ceramics student.

The bone-colored ceramic weaved and twined around gray geometric shapes, with certain areas resembling a spider web. The large piece was kept from being too stretched out by a concentrated center.

In the right room, which contained work from graduate students, two areas were set up that resembled typical household rooms. The carpeted floors held small couches, tables and interesting ceramic figures. Graduate student Lauren Duffy created “ceramic chimeras,” mythological ceramic creatures composed of different parts of animals.

Lining the far wall were five paintings by graduate student Feng Liu. “My Grandma as a Young Girl” boasted vibrant colors with detailed, inlaid images. From a large, brush-stroked area of gray in the left-hand corner to a chain stretching along the bottom right-hand side, the painting contained a myriad of color and imagination.

Work by graduate student Kelly Franke took up the back wall. An illusive combination of black, white and gray succeeded in creating the look of a mental prison. In the explanation on the wall next to her art, Franke said, “This work reflects my interest in constructing the human psyche as if it had a structural exoskeleton.”

The art was titled “Mary Ellen” and depicted a barrier she had built inside her mind to keep everyone out.

The only piece featured from a student pursuing a graduate degree in digital art was created by Rachel Lin Weaver and was titled “Trace Evidence.”

After being drawn to the dark back room by eerie sounds emanating from within, viewers were invited to sit and watch at a small table and chair. Vibrations could be felt through the table, adding extra depth to the emotional experience. Weaver’s thesis was inspired by her father’s work as a homicide investigator.

The wall leading back to the entrance was covered with work done by graduate student Erin Castellan. Combining hand-embroidery, sewn-fabric embellishment and paint, the art displayed bold colors and detailed sewing.

Featured in the middle of the room was art created by graduate student Payson McNett titled “Anthropogenic Reliquiae.” Putting rusted metal and smooth wood that had been artfully burned on the inside together, McNett made new art out of something typically viewed as old and useless.

“My inspiration was drawn from my reverence for nature and my love of machinery,” McNett said. “It was drawn from the conflict of how seemingly different aspects of our modern life come together.”

In the room to the left of Katz’s large structure, art by bachelor students was featured. Digital prints by graduate student Chelsea Eales encompassed the right wall.

“My project is based on intuition in graphic design,” Eales said. “When working as a graphic design student, there is a lot of emphasis on technical skill. I wanted to take a step back and think intuitively, which was my inspiration for my thesis.”

In a small curtained room hung large figures made out of twisted, light metal. The metal was entwined around ceramic objects and gleamed in the small lights decorating the edges of the sculptures. The art was created by graduate student Nick Kovalenko and titled “Condemnation.”

Thesis projects by senior Molly Quanty and graduate student Sarah Blevins were displayed in the back of the room. Quanty used copper to create a different perspective when looking at photography. Things she had experienced throughout her life heavily influenced her work.

Blevins, who is pursuing a masters in graphic design, had created a kitchen and garden theme of posters and labels.

Jars containing garlic, cocoa powder, flour and other ingredients sat on a table.

Sitting close by was a basket containing butternut squash seeds and a sign that read “Please Take a Seed Packet.”

“I am very interested in nostalgic topics, including cooking from scratch,” Blevins said. “I feel as though younger generations are losing touch with many of the practices our grandparents perfected. Growing up on a farm, I began to love the traditional hobbies of America’s pastime — cooking and baking, sewing, gardening, arts and crafts.”

The final thesis project exhibited was titled “Rigid and Fluid Systems” by senior G. David Wright. In the heart of the three steel objects was contained something delicate.

One held plaster, one held a combination of carbon dioxide, latex and paint, and another held sculpted ice. The final exhibit artfully led viewers back to the entrance.

“For so long, I pursued this degree as an end, but as the time of completion grew nearer, I found my self looking at it as a beginning,” McNett said. “In short, it feels great to have earned a master’s degree.”