On Saturday, April 11, the Wittenberg Art Department hosted its senior art exhibit reception in the Ann Miller and Thompson Galleries to great public approval, with over 50 attendees at the gathering. The exhibition “Prologue to Somewhere” featured the works of nine art seniors with a variety of concentrations, their beautiful art on display for all to enjoy.
Starting in the Ann Miller Gallery, three students had their attention on oil painting, each incorporating a different multimedia aspect.
Abby Rohrer titled her collection “Familiar,” which is apt given her subject matter is her family dogs, each given their own colorful and loving portrait. Each painting has a sculpted dog tag hung underneath, etched with the animal’s name.
Lanie Mersch’s collection “I Carry Her With Me” ties materials reminiscent of childhood crafting into her works, such as a paper chain and ribbons. On the placard about her collection, Mersch describes how her pieces are all centered on “nostalgia,” and each one represents a part of her childhood.
Francesca Heidinger combines musical and physical art in her collection “Where the Wall Cracks,” inspired by the album “The Wall” by Pink Floyd. She utilizes “cubist fragmentation and contemporary abstraction” to explore her own experiences with trauma and recovery. Accompanying the paintings are QR codes that link to specific songs from the album.
Additionally, two seniors focused on sculptural work. Luke Stanfield’s untitled collection is of several shapes and sizes of stoneware teapots. Even the handles on some that appear like bamboo are perfectly painted to look that way.
Becca Schafer, meanwhile, is more abstract with her creations, which together are called “From the Southwest to Midwest: Sculpting Who I Am.” According to her, her pieces took inspiration from wildlife native to New Mexico: “plants…animals, reptiles, bugs. Same with Ohio, actually.”
Schafer grew up in Albuquerque, N. M., and often visited Columbus, Ohio as a child, leading up to her attending Wittenberg, which inspired the journey represented in her work. As for why she chose to pursue ceramics, she said she only started it in college, but she thinks it’s appropriate for who she has become. “I’m molding myself into who I am,” she said.
At the back of the gallery, a wall is dedicated to Sam Monnin’s photographic arrangement, shaped like a heart. She describes the outline as a timeline of her relationship with her subject, while the center features posters and photos that show the metaphorical heart of her work: the issues that inspire her, such as LGBTQ+ and women’s rights.
Moving into the Thompson Gallery, Gabby Conaway shows off her digital media work under her label “Andromeda Printing Co.,” which is a fictional printing company that produces magazines. She designed covers and brands for several types of publications, including teen and music magazines.
On the opposite wall, Kris Such, a studio artist with a Graphic Design concentration, displays prints and concept art of his queer horror comic entitled “Lotus-Eater’s Paracosm,” along with a booklet of the first chapter available to read through.
When asked for comment about his inspiration, Such explained, “I noticed within the sort of genre that there wasn’t a lot of A.) gay relationships, and B.) lesbian relationships. So I wanted to create something sort of based on that idea.” The comic features a long-term friendship between characters Charlotte and Aspen, which turned into a toxic one-sided obsession, all told with stunning monochromatic visuals.
Finally, Molly “MK” Kirkpatrick wowed viewers with a short video game, or interactive digital experience, called “Ad Infinitum.” Guests could control an orange tabby to walk and jump their way through a deteriorating home on a loop, accompanied by commentary based on her own mental health struggles.
The exhibition will be available to view until May 16.
