Art Museum Offers ‘A Space of Her Own’

Six senior art majors will present their capstone art projects ranging from paintings to prints, photography to a sculptural installation April 6-May 6 at the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art.  A free, public opening reception for “a space of her own” is Thursday, April 6, from 4-6 p.m. at the museum.

“I’ve been impressed by the students’ craft and dedication to making art that not only is technically beautiful, but captures concepts that are evocative and important for our time,” says Nathan Huff, associate professor of art and chair of the department. “The title, ‘a space of her own’, connotes the distinct spaces that these six women have carved out in their artistic practices and in the conceptual ideas for art. The works in the exhibition depict interior domestic spaces in first light, vast mountainscapes, and the grit and labor of a western ranch. Other times the works document spaces for female skateboard culture, playful sculptures that delight in sensory overload and material exploration, and drawn studies of anatomical differences as a way to honor the beauty of each other.”

The exhibition celebrates the careers of Annika Britton, Moriah Chiang, Callie Guthrie, Ella Jennings, Ashley Rosenbaum and Morgan Sailer.

“I am so proud of these art majors who have created sophisticated bodies of artwork with strong technical skill, meaningful concepts, and deeply personal investment,” Huff says. “These self-directed projects explore themes of identity, caretaking and the wonder of the natural world, honoring labor and landscape, and the importance of spaces both metaphorical and literal that help us understand one another.”

The show will feature oil paintings, large scale charcoal drawings, watercolors, fiber textile installations, printmaking, and photography.

This exhibition is generously sponsored by Ken and Francie Jewesson.