Arts & Culture
A student admires Katie Nordber's illustrations.
Senior art, design and interior architecture students showcase their work
The Pointer
jratc567@uwsp.edu
Over the course of the year, art majors pursuing the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree have been preparing for “Identify Yourself,” the senior group exhibition. The show opens on May 9, in the Carlsten Art Gallery in the Noel Fine Arts Center.
All BFA candidates take a two-class senior seminar sequence during their senior year. The exhibit is the goal of the second part of the seminar, during which the student makes a piece of art specifically for display in the exhibit. It is necessary to pass the class in order to obtain a BFA degree, and those who do not pass receive only a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Seniors pick a committee of three professors or community artists to serve as mentors. They make sure the art adheres to a high standard and help the student overcome issues that arise.
During the week of installation, students undergo a final review and learn if they have passed the course. They do not receive their actual grade until the exhibit has been cleaned up. All 11 “Identify Yourself” students have passed the course and will receive BFA certification.
Debi Riechert- Grosbier is one of the 11. She faced a unique set of challenges to bring her piece, “Life,” to the gallery.
Richert- Grosbier arrived at her project sometime last year. Her brother-in-law is a mechanic in Marshfield. At his garage, he was going to take the engine from a car for use in a lawn mower. He offered the body to Riechert-Grosbier. Together, they removed the gas tank, engine and hazardous items. They towed the car to Stevens Point and transported it to the gallery via the Noel Fine Arts Center’s freight elevator. Riechert-Grosbier and 10 volunteers had to lift the car on its side to get it through the gallery door.
“I took the windshield out for the installation,” said Riechert-Grosbier. “I felt it gave it a better visual perspective. People are encouraged to sit in it to get the feel. The vehicle represts a body, a physical body with all its imperfections. It is a metaphor for life choices, which is why not all of the images are clear. [The images on] the sides are black and white because those are considered be decisions we’ve decided to not work with, and they’re history. We can’t get that moment in time back. The music is music I listen to while driving to Point.”
All of Riechert-Grosbier’s photography was taken from her car on the road to Stevens Point. Riechert-Grosbier is a non-traditional student who has double majored in art and communication.
According to Angela Kau, another of the exhibiting artists, the Senior BFA show can be a very challenging experience. “It’s funny how one simple letter, ‘F’ in the BFA degree, makes it all the harder, as opposed to a BA,” said Kau.
Kau originally intended to create a huge watercolor piece, but her plans altered as her project progressed. The faculty committee suggested a change of medium. Kau’s work consists of 20 10x10-inch self-portraits in oils. She says she has discovered new oil painting techniques over the course of the project.
Kau’s piece reflects the many aspects of her personality. “I’m a little different everyday. The portraits reflect different moods and situations—what I want, what I’ve found, how I was on the day I painted. I sat down in spurts. I’d finish some in a sitting, one a day or sometimes three or four a day,” she said.
Both students are pleased by their work and the show.
“The show fits well together,” said Kau. “The committee wanted the art to be very personal.”
The “Identify Yourself” reception is part of a large-scale senior art student presentation event. At the same time, graphic design and interior architecture students will present “Put Together,” their senior portfolio exhibition.
Graphic design students are required to have a working portfolio with at least 12 pieces to graduate. They undergo three different committee reviews during the semester. During the event, graphic design majors will present in the upper hallways, and interior architecture majors will present in the courtyard.
In addition to student art and design work, the event will feature live music from The Sloppy Joes, free food and a cash bar downstairs. Both the gallery opening and portfolio review will begin at 3:00 p.m.
