2024 Spring Newsletter

PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY

Department of Art

Student Art Showcase

Harry Krug Gallery - On display January 12-February 29, 2024

Angel Brame

Re-purpose, Re-engineer, and Relocate

University Gallery - On display January 10-March 13, 2024

Reception: February 1, 2024 from 5-7PM

Marilee Salvator

Growth and Abundance

Harry Krug Gallery - On display March 6-April 5, 2024

Reception: March 6, 2024 from 5-7PM

Daniel Opoku

Identimatics: Mathematical Grammar of Kente Patterns

University Gallery - On display March 27-May 10, 2024

Reception: March 27, 2024 from 5-7PM

Senior Exhibit

Continuum

Harry Krug Gallery - On display April 9-May 10, 2024

Reception: April 17, 2024 from 5-7:30 PM

Porter Hall

Our galleries are free and open to the public. We welcome everyone to attend artist receptions and lectures. The artist will discuss their work and take questions about their creative process.

You are welcome to bring your students to the gallery during business hours, as well. We hope to see you in the gallery soon!

Porter Hall Galleries

-University Gallery

-Harry Krug Gallery -Second Floor Gallery

Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 8AM-4:30PM

GRADUATING SENIORS

Hayden Bennett

Christian Garth

Des Hernandez

Devynn Mae

Devin March

Michaela Newport

CONGRATULATIONS to our graduating seniors! Never stop growing, exploring, learning, and challenging yourself. You have worked hard for this moment and we are so proud of you.

Best of Luck,

Faculty & Staff Department of Art

Artist Statement

Growing up in varied pockets of the Bible Belt as a chronically ill, autistic, and queer Wyandotte Native shaped my identity in a way that now informs my advocacy driven work. From a young age I have felt intensely and deeply. I grew up seeing this as a negative quality in myself. Over the years, I have learned that it actually takes a lot of courage and strength to sit with the pain of our experiences. My art gives me an outlet to do just that. In my work, I create a space where vulnerability is celebrated, understanding is cultivated, and a sense of empowerment is collectively fostered. At its core, the work I produce tells a story. Within this show I am reflecting on the process of grief and the negative self-talk I often have with myself. While deeply personal, it is intentionally aimed at looking at topics that may be considered taboo or uncomfortable to some. This story may not be evident upon first glance, but there are clues within the work that can be pieced together to understand the narrative behind it. Instead of confining myself to a single artistic style, I anchor my work in a specific purpose, allowing it to expand across diverse avenues of expression. The concept in my work takes first priority, with thought to form coming second. Spanning mediums from sculptures to quilts to immersive experiences, my artwork confronts important but often avoided topics. I explore healthcare disparities, disability, LGBTQ+ identity, political landscapes, and human rights issues through my art. My objective is to initiate a dialogue that resonates not only with me but also with underrepresented communities sharing similar struggles. I firmly believe in the transformative power of art to bridge gaps, dismantle stigmas, and remind us of the shared nature of our journeys.

Artist Statement

I find thinking about adventure and mystery to be exciting. Creating concept art and character design in science fiction and dark fantasy allows me to consider the imagination. I aim for concepts that could be believable [and could exist] within the genre I am working. The painting styles I use the most often are a sharp, quick cell shaded style like what is used in 2d animation and a “thick coating” style with textures and visible brush strokes. The creature designs I make are intended to look imposing, intimidating, otherworldly or and with a great sense of scale. The environments I craft are made to feel atmospheric with a dark, moody, vast, and texture achieved through various brush techniques.

My primary medium for artwork is digital when fully realizing concepts. However, I also use pencil and paper sketching as a supplement for putting ideas down, especially when I am on the go without access to my digital tools. Though I do not often make environmental concepts. My character designs can be broader in moods or themes, but most tend to follow within the same guides of what I aim for with creatures and environments. My biggest inspirations come from the video games I play and character designers and concept artists I look up to.

My goal is a career in character design and concept art for the video game industry. My artwork is a representation of the ideas I dream of.

Artist Statement

My current work draws inspiration from a blend of traditional American folk art and contemporary design. I experiment with vibrant colors, shapes, and textures to create compositions where decorative elements and subjects flow together, emphasizing space and movement.

As a female artist, I am inspired by the legacy of American folk artisans particularly women who created functional and narrative art due to exclusion from professional art spaces. I try to reinterpret these designs into a more contemporary style while embracing feminine expression. Incorporating doodles like loops, stars, and foliage to fill the space allows for a handmade, stylized aesthetic to come through in my work. I aim for my work to feel intentionally playful, carefree, and feminine, while maintaining boldness and excitement.

My creative process involves various mediums, including digital media, gouache paint, and inks, particularly in creating stylized portraits and illustrations. Color, being one of the most important tools in my work, is where I start. I often begin with a preliminary sketch to map out colors and values using gouache paint—for its vibrant range and ease of use. Subsequently, I digitally recreate the painting, adding texture and stippling for depth and visual interest.

DEVYNN MAE

Artist

Statement

My art is a means of expressing the spectrum of emotions within me- from the joy and love I have for life to my discontent with certain aspects of the world. It is through art that I navigate and makes sense of the world around me, providing me with a consistent and powerful outlet for expression.

In my collage work, I embrace a diverse array of materials, including magazine and newspaper clippings, scrap paper, and anything I can glue onto paper. Drawing inspiration from conventional media outlets like magazines allows me to convey my artistic message effectively. When painting, I typically use acrylic paint on canvas. I love using paint because I feel the texture and visible brushstrokes add a certain depth. This combination allows the viewer to see a human touch behind the finished piece. My artistic goal is to capture the profound beauty concealed within the ordinary parts of daily life. I am inspired by the essence of humanity, whether it serves as a direct focal point or an underlying motif in my compositions. Often, I celebrate the innocence of girlhood, while at other times, my work serves as a platform to express the frustration stemming from unequal treatment as a woman. Exploring these themes in my art has afforded me a profound journey of self-discovery, guiding me towards what resonates with me most deeply.

HAYDEN BENNETT

Artist Bio

I'm currently a student teacher at Lamar High School in the Art room. I've had a great experience with the students and my teacher. I would love to stay local, and I've been applying for positions at a couple of schools. If I don't get a job for the upcoming school year, I plan to be a substitute teacher to get more experience. I'm so excited to be graduating in May, but I'm going to miss the fun I've had here.

MICHAELA NEWPORT

Christian Garth was born in May 2002, in Kansas City, Missouri, and lived in Joplin, Missouri. Garth was a multimedia artist who created environment concept art and landscape art through both traditional painting and digital mediums. He first became interested in the beauty of the environment through the nature that surrounded his childhood home. Often exploring the woods and taking notice of the weather’s effect on the environment, Garth would find himself creating sketches of different scenes that would unfold. He eventually began to gain further inspiration for environment concept art through the beautiful scenes presented in video games he would often play. This led him to study the local parks and waterfalls, along with works from experienced game concept artists, to create his landscape paintings and 3D environments. Garth was an undergraduate student at Pittsburg State University and was working towards his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in Illustration. He was furthering his understanding of digital skills with an independent study of 3D modeling software and techniques to meet industry standard expectations.

Christian is greatly missed by the art department and his classmates.

CHRISTIAN GARTH

Artist Bio

CONGRATULATIONS

to our Department of Art Scholarship Recipients!

EMILY GOEGLEIN

ROSEMARY STAPLETON

ISABELLA HUSKEY

CONGRATULATIONS

to our Department of Art Scholarship Recipients!

DAYLYN FRAZIER

CLAIRE BRUENING

CONGRATULATIONS

to our Department of Art Scholarship Recipients!

ELLA ARMENTROUT

Thank You to our Scholarship Donors! We are so grateful for your support.

Bertha a. Spencer Kappi Pi Scholarship Fund

Laurence a. Wooster Scholarship Fund

G. Doyle Clugston Book Scholarship

Leland D. and Emajeane S. Boone Memorial Fund

Bert and Lilly Keeney Scholarship

Rosemary Postai Memorial Art Scholarship

Louis Nicoletti Memorial Scholarship

Marjorie K. Schick Scholarship

James J & Evelyn Whitaker Cattelino Art Scholarship

Kavanagh Family Scholarship for the Arts

YOU FOR ATTENDING OUR

WORKSHOPS THANK

The Department of Art would like to thank the area high schools that joined us for workshops during Fall ‘23-Spring ‘24. We really enjoyed having you here and we hope to see you on campus again very soon!

Pittsburg High School

Girard High School

Joplin High School

Bronaugh High School

Prairie View High School

Carl Junction High School

Frontenac High School

Labette Co. High School

Uniontown High School

Stockton R-1 High School

Oswego High School

Independence High School

Monett High School

Webb City High School