On Wed., April 17 Concordia held an important showcase of written and visual art on campus as it hosted a Senior Capstone Exhibition reception and The Aerie publication and open mic night. 

The evening began in the John and Linda Friend Art Gallery in Grimm Hall. Family, friends and Concordia students and faculty filed into the gallery to view the semester-long projects completed by Priscilla Meija, Colton Perez, Natalie Younger and Emily Bishop. There was a variety of inspirations and mediums used for their final pieces.

Professor of Studio Art Sarah Fletcher said, “The senior art showcase is a synthesis of what these art majors have learned in their time at Concordia. They draw on past successes and areas with room for growth. They are given the freedom to work on an independent project, with guidance, a small studio space, and peer feedback throughout the semester.”

Meija spoke about the work she painted that portrayed the parable of Jesus and the lost sheep from Luke 15 in the Bible. She revealed her inspiration for the piece and how she felt connected with the message from the parable, as well as her painting process and the parts that were most difficult to complete. 

Perez shared his paintings and sculptures with the audience and spoke about his focus on the human form. He had two sculptures on display, one being a hollow head and a miniature Statue of David. He spoke about the process of sculpting the figure and what inspired him to do so. The sculpture took him two semesters to complete as he spent time getting the proportions and details correct.

Next, Bishop spoke about her colorful pair of paintings titled “Conflict” and “Resolution.” Bishop used a lot of biblical imagery within the pieces as they were based on a Bible verse. A couple of references included three birds that represented the Holy Trinity and a rose bush with seven thorns that represented painful difficulties in life. The contrasting colors within both pieces worked very well with each other to tell a story. 

Finally, Younger presented her painting of the CU Center. She spoke about the difficulty of choosing a subject for her painting and the moment it dawned upon her to choose the building that is so integral to Concordia’s culture. Younger explained that she wanted to spend time outdoors while working on her senior project and showcase change and transition. She also wanted to include students and professors in her project which you can see in the collage of cards around the large painting. On the cards were quotes by those who participated in a questionnaire about the CU Center and sketches drawn by Younger. 

As a mentor to the students, Fletcher said, “I love seeing students push through failures to discover something worthwhile in their art. I love seeing them bring together their worlds of school, family, and friends through art as they have many important supporters who come to see their art and listen to them speak about it at the reception.”

After the exhibition finished people headed outside for The Aerie party and open mic event. Attendees were able to pick up a brand new issue of The Aerie and spend time flipping through the pages while enjoying refreshments. Once the event started, Aerie contributors went up to the mic to either read their written pieces or speak about the art they created. 

Director of the Writing Studio, Professor Kristen Schmidt, and Chair of the Art Department, Professor Rachel Soo, both work with a team of student editors and designers to create a new edition of The Aerie every year.

Soo explained, “Production begins in the fall with the selection of student editors and a graphic designer.” Students from the Graphic Design II class then create publicity posters, flyers and social media posts for a call for submission for The Aerie with one student’s design being chosen. 

“Submissions are evaluated by Concordia University students and faculty selection committees, who read, discuss and vote on the entries. Under the guidance of Prof. Kristen Schmidt and [myself], the layout and design are created by the student graphic designer and literary editors for its publication,” said Soo.  “Working collaboratively with Prof. Schmidt, the student editors and the student designers each year is a joyful experience.”

Schmidt believes that it is important for an arts publication like The Aerie to be present at Concordia because “the arts are a means for communicating how we see the world, and sharing creative work with others creates connection and understanding about who we are as humans. The arts challenge us intellectually and make us think and feel.”

Soo added, “It represents a community interested in creating and discussing creative writing and art. It's an excellent opportunity to share your creative work with the Concordia community. Everyone is in a different place in their artistic journey.”

A collaborator and presenter for the evening, senior English major Ella Hachee said, “Creative writing and some visual arts don't lend themselves to a performance style showcase like music or theater, so it is amazing to give writers and artists a chance to share what they've been working on in our campus community.”

If you were unable to attend the Senior Capstone Exhibition you can still see the work on display through the end of the year. And if you didn’t get a copy of the new issue of The Aerie, Schmidt said, “An electronic copy, as well as past editions, may be found at www.cui.edu/aerie.”

Tags: Performing Arts

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