By Jesse Sailer, Sports Editor
The artwork of Ohio Wesleyan’s senior fine arts majors and minors are finally showcased in the Werner Gallery and the the Richard M. Ross Art Museum after several months of preparation.
Work done by fine art majors are shown in the Ross Museum while the fine art minors work is shown in Werner.
The artwork submitted for the senior show isn’t required to be work from the artists concentration, but rather the work they think is the strongest they’ve produced throughout their college career.
The inspiration behind “11:11 Make a Wish”, the title given to the senior show, comes from one of the many meanings behind the odd trend.
The repetition of 11:11 is a message to keep going, and no matter the path you’re on, you’ll find where you need to be no matter what.
Senior Shelby Ksiazek came up with this title as she thought it perfectly reflected the mindset of all the seniors.
“It was a relief to see it come together the way it did, I couldn’t believe my artwork was worth what it was, it was nice to see everything pay off,” Ksiazek said.
Each senior was allowed to submit as many pieces as they wanted but the final works that would go in the show was decided by the fine arts department.
The senior show collectively exhibits the work of 11 artists with artwork spanning their entire four years at OWU.
Jenna Chambers (Ceramics): Jenna finds a connection between the reconstitution of clay into new forms and the ever changing landscape around her, all the while building a relationship with a medium that is both frustrating and alluring at the same time.
Mariah Chery (Printmaker): Mariah expresses her inner self through a timeless medium and uncovers her own identity with her ancestry and present life.
Margaux Hackett (Sculpture): Margaux finds that the abstractness of the human form can be implemented into three dimensional works as it allows her to work on a whole new level.
Natasha Heusinger (Ceramics, Drawing): Natasha found a constant in her life when she found clay and an interest in ceramics in Japan. The combination of her personal drawings and ceramic throwing allows her to embed a part of herself into her work.
Shelby Ksiazek (Photographer, Mixed Media): Shelby has been surrounded by mixed media since a young age and pursuing the arts has allowed her to blossom and find a way to express her inner turmoils in a way that words can’t.
Corrine Rice (Photography): Corrine has always found a passion for art and has cultivated a love for the process put into each piece. Through photography she’s created a visual journal that explores her experiences with the outside world.
Syed Abuzar Raza (Drawing, Painting): Syed lives for the natural beauty of art and the patterns within. Through repetition and expressive movements in his work, he creates textures that mirror the vibrance of life.
Ellen Sizer (Sculpture): Ellen juxtaposes her metal work with color in a way that evokes more feeling for the mixed patterns and textures but has you thinking the pieces are visually blurred, completely contradicting the sharpness of the metal.
Rachel Spotts (Ceramics): Rachel plays with the malleability of clay and the freedom it allows her to shape the clay personally to her movements. The process of tearing down and reconstructing the clay leaves her pieces with distinct but simple marks.
Nicholas Tobias (Ceramics): Nicholas learned to push the limits when it came to ceramics and learned to navigate the uncertainty that comes with working with it.
Andrew “Mac” Willard (Photography): Mac finds a love for light and shadow and how it plays with the subjects of his photos, he looks to communicate emotions and expressions through the use of color and light.
“Having my own work up for the first time was one of the proudest moments of my life so far.” Willard said. “It was beautiful to see so many different works of art coexisting together,” said Willard.