The final month of the academic year is a busy time for students in all disciplines across campus, but for the senior Visual Arts students, to say they are “working hard” this time of year is an understatement. Before this semester is over, these students will exhibit original artwork in Nohr Gallery and at multiple locations across campus and within the Platteville community.
On April 16, nine senior Visual Arts students exhibited their artwork in the Nohr Gallery during the opening reception of the Senior Show and BFA Group Exhibition. This combination of shows allows the graduating Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts candidates within the UW-Platteville Visual Arts program an opportunity to gain experience exhibiting their artwork in the gallery environment and to celebrate their growth as emerging artists. This year’s Senior Show includes exhibits by Faith Dalton, a Bachelor of Science candidate studying art education, and Jacque Komas, a Bachelor of Arts candidate studying art.
“The Senior Show is a culmination. For the senior Bachelor of Arts students, this show has artwork that chronicles their journey here at UW-Platteville. It shows how they both have progressed as artists, and their interests are reflected in what they chose to make art about,” said Jacob Bautista, a Visual Arts lecturer from the Department of Performing and Visual Arts. “I haven’t been here long to see this journey unfold in real time but seeing their work now all together, I am proud of Jacque and Faith.”
The BFA Group Exhibition includes one piece of artwork by each of the seven graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts students from any point within their UW-Platteville Art career. The selected artwork demonstrates the student’s area of emphasis, such as painting, printmaking, graphic design or ceramics. This year’s exhibitors include artworks by Maya Bellmeyer, Hannah Cruz, Emily Deppe, Jacob Eck, Jacob Muller, Noel Strait and Becky Yang.
“The BFA portion of the group show has a single piece from each of the students. They each picked a piece that represents who they are and summarizes their artistic interests,” said Bautista. “It can be viewed as a teaser to their larger body of work that they are working on for their solo exhibitions.”
In addition to exhibiting in Nohr Gallery, each of the graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts candidates will exhibit their own solo show at another location on the UW-Platteville campus or within the Platteville community. This year-long process began in the fall when each of the exhibiting Bachelor of Fine Arts students created an exhibition thesis and project proposal which they have been executing throughout the spring semester. Overall, the students gain experience navigating the gallery proposal process and learn firsthand what it means to be an artist who desires to share their artwork with an audience.
“By requiring the students to hold their own solo exhibition, it teaches them many skills they can use in the future,” said Bautista. “We have covered the standard hanging and installation process for this type of art exhibition. It puts a proper cap to their time here and is also a celebration: a celebration of the long hours and hard work they have put into their artwork throughout their time here at UW-Platteville.”
The Nohr Gallery Senior Show and BFA Group Exhibition are available for public viewing most weekdays from 10 a.m.–4 p.m., April 16–May 10. The Bachelor of Fine Arts solo exhibitions by Hannah Cruz, Emily Deppe, Jacob Eck, Noel Strait and Becky Yang will take place at Rountree Gallery and the Platteville Public Library from April 25–May 4, with opening receptions taking place on Friday, April 26. The BFA solo exhibitions by Maya Bellmeyer and Jacob Muller will take place from May 9–19, with opening receptions on May 10 at Rountree Gallery and the UW-Platteville Center for the Arts. Reception times and public viewing hours vary by location. For more information about each of the exhibiting students, visit go.uwplatt.edu/artstudents2024.