For most college students, April begins to bring an overwhelming flurry of stress, excitement and emotion as graduation day creeps forward without apology. It can be a time of self-centered thinking, agony and frustration as the realities of post-graduation life come to the surface. But for Anderson University’s Senior Art and Design students, April brings their focus to one another as they prepare to open their senior exhibition “Converge: It Totally Matters What It’s Next To.”
The senior art exhibition opening will be April 4 from 2-5 p.m. at 919 E 8th St., Anderson, Ind. This event is free and open to the general public.
This spring’s exhibition features 18 art and design students, their work representing all disciplines of the program. “We believe that ‘Converge’ not only acts as an invitation to the community to interact with our work, but also reflects the way in which we have come together to form this group,” says Allison Vander Naald, a visual communication design major from Villa Park, Ill. “Our learning has been dependent upon who we’ve been next to, and as we engage in this exhibition, we are reminded that our interactions as students have been essential to our work within this program.”
The senior exhibition, which will have an opening reception on April 4, from 2-5 p.m. is located at 919 E. Eighth Street in the former Anderson Rent-A-Center. “It’s been a lot of work to transition an old showroom into a gallery, but it’s been quite a meaningful process,” says Cara Camp, a fine arts studio: glass major from Parchment, Mich. “We had a blank canvas to work with, and by painting, building walls and giving the space some much-needed attention, it’s become a great home for our exhibition.”
The senior art and design students have met weekly since January in a seminar-style course that brings the students together to accomplish this work as a team. But the group isn’t just putting the finishing touches on their work and building a gallery space, they’ve been working just as diligently to finish their senior papers—a written exploration of their visual work that is supported by research, commentary and critical response. The topics are as varied as the work is, but one thing is certain: these students are exploring questions and ideas that they have a passion for.
“There are times that as Art and Design students we are misunderstood because of the tremendous amount of time we devote to our work. Some people don’t understand that this isn’t work that you can simply finish in the library,” says Dane Benton, a visual communication design major from St. James, Mo. “But our hope is that when people come and see the work, or come and listen to our thesis presentations, that they’ll understand why we’re so committed to what we do. We aren’t forced into doing any of this—we do it because we love it.”
Converge: It Totally Matters What It’s Next To
Anderson University Senior Art and Design Exhibition
Gallery Location:
Corner of 8th St. and College Dr.
919 E. Eighth Street
Anderson, IN 46012
Show Dates:
April 4th through May 1st
Hours:
Tuesday through Friday: 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday: 1-4 p.m.
Admission:
Free
Show Opening:
Saturday, April 4th: 2-5 p.m.
Refreshments provided
Thesis Readings:
Tuesday, April 14: 8-11 a.m., 6-9 p.m.
Thursday, April 16: 8-10 a.m., 6-9 p.m.
All readings will take place at Anderson University, Decker Hall Room 133
Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,800 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson continues to be recognized as a top Christian college: in 2008, U.S. News and World Report ranked Anderson University among the best colleges and universities in the Midwest for the fourth consecutive year. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing and theology.
