Made by Hand
Shayna Weimer
Karya Schanilec
ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE
STUDIO ART SENIORS SAY GOODBYE TO WILLAMETTE WITH A SHOW OF TALENT.
E
very spring, hundreds of people flock to a month-long exhibition at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art. Instead of the works of a famous artist, they’re drawn by the creativity of Willamette studio art seniors.
The Senior Thesis Exhibition represents the students’ work over the course of two semesters, their in-depth exploration of the challenges that professional artists face, and a bittersweet farewell to the university. The six studio art majors who graduated this year offered diverse approaches and artistic visions that encompassed drawing, painting, photography and sculpture. The show provides students with a rare and valuable opportunity to become familiar with the professional practices and expectations of the art world. “The chance to show your work in a respected art museum is a benefit that Willamette offers that many institutions don’t,” explains associate professor of art Alexandra Opie. “It puts students ahead in their professional preparation if they do want to go into a career in art.” The seniors create artist statements that describe their work and intentions; collaborate with museum staff to design, curate and install the exhibit; and give a public presentation about their work in a gallery talk. “Some find the experience draining,” says Opie. “For others, it confirms that art is the direction for their lives.” On the day of commencement, many students take their proud parents for one last look at their art displayed on campus. The next day, with the exhibit over, they reclaim their work and begin their new lives as Willamette alumni. Whether their path leads to graduate school, a museum or an art studio, it will emerge in the same way as their senior thesis: through commitment to self-discovery, experimentation and the hard work of acquiring new skills.
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SUMMER 2016
SHAYNA WEIMER ’16 created a sensitive set of portraits to address the social stigma of mental illness. After talking with members of the Willamette community who suffer from mental illness, she drew their faces, using their own words to create the lines and shading. In her artist statement, she wrote: “In showing the faces together as a series, I intend to raise awareness of the commonness of mental illness and create a sense of community among those living with it.” KARYA SCHANILEC ’16 captured the essence of dance through photography. Isolating moments within a dance, she created composites of images of performers’ arms and legs set against a black background. In her artist statement, she wrote, “Photography allows me to capture the most subtle of movements, so they may be appreciated beyond happening just in that time.”