SHANNON URTNOWSKI
A&E Assistant
As most students have been packing up their rooms and closing their books now that the school year is coming to an end, 12 busy seniors have been working relentlessly to prepare for this year’s senior student art exhibition titled, “Twelve is Connected to the Following Things … ”
The exhibition, which features work from 12 graduating art majors, opens today at Fredrick R. Weisman Museum.
It showcases artwork the seniors have completed specifically for this show, which is their last major graduation requirement before they wave goodbye to Pepperdine at the end of the month.
Various paintings, sculptures and abstract designs that the students have constructed over the semester are on display throughout the museum.
The student works occupy both levels of the Weisman Museum, and faculty adviser Avery Falkner said each artist brings a unique element to the show.
“There are a variety of art pieces, both conceptual and abstract,” Falkner said. “The show has a big range of representation, from minimal things to political works, because we have a diverse group of artists.”
Falkner said he not only believes the exhibition is a great one for art lovers to see, as people are sure to find something they like in the assortment, but also for the artists themselves to witness.
“It’s a transformation from their working studies to the jewel case of the museum,” Falkner said. “It’s the first time for the students to see their work in a setting where it comes alive. As a professor, it’s a revelation.”
Weisman Museum has housed the works of a variety of prestigious artists, and senior Liz Long said she feels lucky to have her work showcased in such a venue.
“It’s very exciting, but also I hope that my works can live up to the others who have previously displayed, like Wayne Thiebaud,” Long said, referencing the American pop artist featured at Weisman Museum in 2002.
Senior Bradley Carter agreed, saying he believes it is a privilege to have his art showcased at Weisman Museum because it would be difficult for most pieces not to look professional in such a location.
“Paintings always look better in museums, so having my art displayed at Weisman in my first big show is a great experience,” Carter said.
Both the students and faculty have been preparing for the exhibition for months.
“We started getting ready for the show last semester with a bunch of pre-meetings,” said Falkner. “The first major
meeting was in January, where we set the date of the show and decided when things were going to get done.”
Falkner and co-faculty adviser Genevieve Freeman have been working together to help the students prepare for the show both mentally and physically.
“We share dealing with the students and encouraging them to continue with their work,” Falkner said.
“Through critique and suggestion, we help in the process of discovering their vision,” he said.
Though formal preparations for the senior exhibition have come together just over the past year, the students agree it’s a show they have been working toward for years.
“I have been preparing for four years overall, but mainly the past two semesters,” Long said.
She said she has learned a lot from the process.
“At times it’s hard when our vision cannot be fulfilled the way we want it, but then the outcome is better than the original version,” Long said.
The students worked tirelessly to get their pieces ready for the show and, with everything now in order, they can enjoy the final products alongside their friends and family.
“The most exciting aspect of putting on this senior show for me is giving my family and friends an insight into my passion for art,” Rushford said. “I’m aware that this is a unique opportunity, and I feel truly blessed.”
The seniors have spent months perfecting their work for the show, and now they must face reactions and feedback from viewers.
“I am excited as well as nervous about others viewing my work,” senior Lusine Akopyan said.
“I want everyone to see what I have accomplished this semester. Hopefully my work will show how much time and hard work has been put into these paintings,” she said.
The students have taken different artistic paths in
creating their pieces, and there will be an interesting blend for viewers to enjoy.
“I think what I am most excited about is the fact that I am strictly the only person who is not showing paintings,” Long said. “My work is strictly sculpture to wear.”
She said her favorite piece is a dress she constructed solely out of film strip, which is special because the negatives depict childhood moments between her and a close friend.
Akopyan, who has been working with oil paints since high school, said she is also excited to show off her work, as all her pieces hold a special place in heart.
“It is hard for me to pick one special favorite piece,” she said. “I have put so much time and work in perfecting all of them that I cannot choose. They are all my babies.”
Viewers can visit the works of Pepperdine’s very own senior student artists from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, excluding Mondays, until April 29.
The museum is free of charge.
04-13-2006
