St{art} Momentum

St[art] Momentum, the 2012 Senior BFA Exhibition at Pacific Lutheran University kicks off with an opening reception on April 25, 2012, from 5p.m. to 7p.m. Graduating BFA students will have their best work on display.

The exhibit remains open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (or by appointment) through May 27, 2012 in Ingram Hall at Pacific Lutheran University. Admission is free and open to the public.

Patrons can see all their favorite mediums: ceramics, sculpture and painting, to photography and graphic design.

“One of the great things about the work students have done is they’re really trying to push their mediums, think outside the box, and convey their artistic vision in really beautiful and unique ways,” Kate Miller ’12, BA student says.

The entire process for this University Gallery show is like no other show this season. The exhibition is student driven from the advertising and catering to installation and set up.

“It’s been a huge learning experience, working in groups, because as artists a lot of what we’ve done up to this point is individual work,” Miller says. “You have to work together and be willing to compromise and keep the groups greater needs in mind.”

Heather Cornelius, University Gallery technician, says this is one of the more valuable experiences of their college career, because it’s a representation of what will be happening after they leave PLU.

“I try to give them as much information about what to do so they can apply it – from technical to conceptual, from the basics of learning how to swing a hammer to gallery flow and layout,” Cornelius says. “It’s 90 percent student ideas and 10 percent faculty input.  Sometimes they don’t realize they have options, so we try to throw out as many options as we can to entice their imagination. The artistic decisions are always their own.”

“St{art} Momentum” is an excellent metaphor for where students are in their lives.

“It’s the big final push out of the safety net. Instead of our professors motivating us and making us work hard, we have to be our own motivation and make ourselves work and put our best foot forward,“ Tessa Heck, BFA student, says.

After graduation Miller has a summer internship doing graphic design in DC for a think tank, The Heritage Foundation. After that she says she’s open to the next great adventure.  Heck is trying to get a museum or gallery job, she has a few offers on the table, but hopes to find an opportunity in Tacoma.

The exhibition features work of PLU’s Art and Design seniors and rising artists Amanda Candella, Kate Miller, Ayla Mull, Jonathan Post, Meghan Arntson, Joe Flood, Rachel Stoneking, Tessa Heck, Alisha Buoy, Lottie Carlson, Anna Holcomb, Chelsea Flaherty, Claire Cordeiro, Andrew Deem, Jaeda Reed, Blair Chaney, Jill Peck and Michael Parretta.