Judy Frimpong
Staff Writer
For most college students, this time of the year means research papers and finals. But for eleven seniors, this time of the year means preparing for the annual art exhibition.
The Senior Art Exhibition opened Thursday at the Frederick R. Weisman Museum on the Malibu campus. After months of slaving behind the canvas, the artists were more than excited to reveal their best work. The name of the exhibition is “12 Is Connected To The Following Things…” which represents the number of artists that were supposed to be featured, but only eleven artists are featured.
There were no rules for the exhibition. In one semester, the artists put their creative juices to work to produce something truly beautiful. “We could basically do whatever we wanted. […] we just had to express what we’ve learned in our time at Pepperdine,” Elizabeth Long said.
Each artist expressed themselves in different ways. No two pieces are the same. There are a number of influences such as the Italian culture, American history and Biblical themes. Senior Christi Meyer used clothing as her inspiration. “I wanted to create a series that would describe me in some ways,” Meyer said. “I love thrift stores and vintage clothes. Not only did the clothes describe me, I got to reveal an underlying meaning as well.”
The seniors consider their art as an extension of themselves. Unlike her peers, Long rejected the canvas and paintbrush and took a different approach. Inspired by her love of fashion, Long explored three-dimensional design and the relationship between female stereotypes and fashion. “I am trying to explore fashion in a different way,” Long said. “I want to weld what I’ve learned at Pepperdine with my love for fashion.”
Long’s love of fashion became apparent in elementary school. “My parents got me fashion plate, and I would sit there for hours making outfits,” she said. Her fascination with fashion grew as she got older. Like Long, Meyer’s love for art began at a young age. “My love for art began when I was a child and my mother gave me a canvas,” she said.
Both Long and Meyer agree that the art program at Pepperdine helped nurture their passion for art especially when it came to the teachers. “I found that the teachers really inspired me in ways I didn’t expect,” Meyer said. She enjoyed the program but believes that there is still room for improvement, specifically the credit requirements for art majors.
All art majors are required to take part in the exhibit. “We had to do this in order to graduate,” Long said. According to Meyer, the assignment was to exhibit the best works from four years in a series. “There was no requirement to take pictures or do anything realistic or abstract. They let us create our own ideas and run with them,” she continued. The students did not have to produce a certain number of pieces. Some artists presented four or more pieces, and others presented one or two pieces. Faculty Director Avery Falkner said that this experience gives students the opportunity to exhibit their art in a professional manner and setting.
Though the journey was fun for the artists, there was no shortage of stress behind the scenes. “It was extremely stressful,” Long said. “There were many nights that I was in the art studio until two a.m.” Meyer agrees that it was stressful but adds that it was “a good stress.”
They both advise future seniors and art majors to use their time wisely. “Take your time, but don’t procrastinate,” said Long, who made the most of her time. She also advises them to explore many options and “don’t marry the first idea that pops into your head.” One of Long’s designs changed at the last minute; luckily, it was a change for the better. “It turned out way better than I could have ever imagined,” she said.
It will be interesting to see where the road leads these art students. Most of the artists are planning on going to graduate school; others hope to be teaching art in the near future. Long plans to attend the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco, while Meyer will be finishing her Psychology major at Pepperdine.
The Senior Art Exhibition is a great way to delve deeper into the creative minds and hearts of eleven seniors. Be sure to visit the exhibition before the art and the seniors are gone.
The exhibition will be open for viewing until graduation, which is April 29.
07-04-2006