Tacoma Arts In Review: University of Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran University Senior Exhibitions

The Senior Art Shows at Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran were all that I could have hoped for— innovation, experimentation, craftsmanship, traditional and non-traditional media, interactive works, the list goes on. In tandem, the works embodied a refreshing sense of honesty and sincerity as the students expressed their ideas about themselves and the world around them.

Each of the eight students graduating from the Art Department in Studio Arts at Puget Sound contributed multiple works to the exhibition. This allowed each student to develop a cohesive body of work to represent their mastery over their chosen medium.

_{Adam Badham’s “Tow the Line”}
Among the number of admirable works in painting, printmaking, ceramics, and mixed-media, the sound and sculpture installations of Aaron Badham had the most effect on me. For Mind the Gap, I slipped off my shoes and stood on the slab of subway platform in the gallery. From a sound tent above came the noise of an empty subway station. Familiar noises I tend to ignore were given my undivided attention, triggering memories of everyday experiences so normal I couldn’t tie them to a specific time or event. Badham’s other three installations, Tow the Line, Through the Wall, and Contained also pair sculpture with a corresponding soundscape through headphones or directed sound. Unfortunately, the use of common sounds made me hyper-aware of the many ambient noises in Kittredge Gallery; creaking floors, people walking, groaning pipes above, and voices emanating from the hallway distorted the purity of experience.

The PLU Senior Exhibition, “Artistry,” featured twenty-six students graduating from the Department of Art and Design. The scope of the department and volume of students contributed to a great level of diversity and I appreciated the resulting medley of painting and photography alongside books and posters.

The ceramic students particularly stood out to me as they each demonstrated technical proficiency, while still distinguishing themselves from the rest of their group. The elegance of Risa Kaneko’s vessels and sculptures separates her from the critical humor of Shelby Roberts’ fish mobile Hooked, just as the tradition and color of Kevin Beausoleil’s table setting sets him apart from the detailed and realistic textures of Dan McCarthy’s architecture and machine hybrids. Together, they indicate a healthy and strong ceramics department.

Though both shows represented incredible variety, the prevalent themes and buzz words were identity, relationships, connectedness, place, and nature/environment. This combination signals to me that this is a group of young people who are ready to go out in the world, armed with a firm understanding of who they are and what they know.

Though not open yet open, be sure to check out the Student Art Show at the TCC Gallery, May 16 through June 10, 2011. Details here…

Puget Sound’s Senior Art Show will be open through May 14, 2011. Graduating BA students in Studio Art:: Aaron Badham, Jenni Denekas, Isaac S. Lewin, Valerie Moreland, Alea Robertson, Elle Vargas, Raye Watts (Recipient of the 2011 Collins Memorial Art Award for Altar I), and Mary Wolfe.
For more information…

Pacific Lutheran University’s Senior Exhibition will be open through May 25, 2011. Graduating BFA and BA students from the Department of Art and Design: Kevin Beausoleil, Heather Blucher, Kell Duncan, Holly Dunning, Tiffany Endicott, John Foote, Nicole Gleadle, Allison Jones, Caitlyn Jones, Risa Kaneka, Audrey King, Aubrey Lange, Dan McCarthy, Tiffany Morrissey, Zorana O’Conner, Kaylin Roback, Shelby Roberts, Karlynne Sapp, Rebecca Scarborough, Krista Smith, Brittany Spencer, Cortney Stahl, Savannah Stevenson, Meghann Sunwold, Courtney Walker, and Sara Wise.
More information here….

Review by Kate Albert Ward

_{Image courtesy of the University of Puget Sound Kittredge Gallery} Facebook Page

ABOUT TACOMA ARTS IN REVIEW
Tacoma Arts In Review, a new column on Exit 133, regularly shares timely reviews and stories on art happenings in Tacoma written by local college students and community members. For more information and application details, go here.