Graduating Art Students Exhibit Their Potential

Westmont’s senior art majors will present their final work as undergraduates in the annual Senior Art Show, April 14 through May 7. An opening reception will be held 4-6 p.m. April 14 in Reynolds Gallery on lower campus. Free and open to the public, the reception will feature a student awards presentation at 5 p.m.

The Senior Show serves as a culmination of students’ work and learning at Westmont. Over the course of the senior year, each student crafts a unique project in the medium of his or her choice and works with professors to prepare the piece for exhibition. The class of 2005 has titled their show “Exit Exhibit,” and will present works in ceramic, textile, graphic design, acrylic on canvas and a variety of other media. Several of the 13 artists have spent semesters studying in Italy or San Francisco.

“Westmont has given me a great opportunity to pursue my ideas on canvas,” says senior Ryan Lonac. “The art department has been very gracious to allow me to work with freedom and encouragement to discover the art of painting.”

Begun by Professors Tony Askew and John Carlander in the mid-1980s, Westmont’s art department has become a vital part of Santa Barbara’s art community and an increasingly rich program for students.

Westmont’s motto, “Holding Christ Preeminent,” applies to art as it does to other disciplines, and many students choose to explore their faith through their art. Professors encourage them in their creation of subtle, sophisticated work, moving beyond cliché symbols.

“My art work does not have obvious Christian messages,” says Sarah Shoemaker, who will show a series of still lifes. “But I think the presence of God is felt even in a painting of a chair or a plastic bag.”

Sarah Stockton, who will show figurative ceramic sculptures, says “Art itself calls for interplay between abstract intuitions and physical material, so it is a perfect realm for exploring the spirituality of physicality.”

Students’ plans after graduation include coordinating art for summer camps, working in graphic design, teaching in inner-city schools and pursuing graduate work.

Reynolds Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, contact the art department at (805) 565-6162 or e-mail pubaffairs@westmont.edu. For directions to campus, visit the college Web site at www.westmont.edu.