CFAM Senior Showcase wows
Sammi Fuchs
Issue date: 4/24/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Every Rollins student is familiar with the Cornell Fine Arts Museum (lovingly known as the CFAM) here on campus. But what most students do not realize is that the CFAM features the work of highly qualified senior art majors. This year, the CFAM is presenting the work of five of these highly qualified students: Michael Bridge, Caitlin Burgdorf, Annie Harris, Kelly McNoldy and Elyse Moore. The Senior Showcase is the equivalent of a major thesis that includes a rigorous judging process to determine which exhibits will be included. The process by which these students are selected includes judging by Curator of Academic Initiatives Matthew McLendon and Assistant Professor Dana Hargrove. The criteria for the exhibition include the cohesiveness of the exhibit as well as overall presentation. The Senior Showcase will be displayed alongside the Faculty Biennial.
Burgdorf describes her exhibit as a "series of small-scale portraits that encompass various emotions." She is "using acrylic paints on panel and then drawing the portrait over that in charcoal." She supplements this by "using color and brushwork in the background to echo the emotional tone of the actual portrait." As for the symbolism in her work, Burgdorf says: "My work plays with the idea of individuality versus commonality, and I'm using different emotions to outwardly represent the concept of human beings as individuals. There's about 20 of these little portraits, ranging in size from 6"x6" to 8"x10", and I have them all arranged close together in one big cluster to represent the broader theme that our capacity for emotion connects us as human beings. We're all very different people but we all experience the same emotions, and the fact that we can experience those emotions is a trait that is uniquely human. So we're all connected in our humanness despite our need for individuality."
To whet your appetite for some of the other art that will be included, Bridge's exhibit will include iconic style paintings that display contemporary individuals posed like those of religious paintings in the Middle Ages. Harris' exhibit will consist of close-up color photography of nature. Moore's work contains psychedelic poster art that has been crafted using digital printmaking. McNoldy's elaborate exhibit will include an installation, meaning that she will have the area constructed to resemble a living room. It will feature a TV to play her short film about an Orlando musician named Joe Cucci. Alongside her film, Kelly will display black and white portraitures.
McNoldy says of the Senior Showcase: "I think it's a good thing to do because it's nice to have a museum show under your belt graduating as an art major."
You can check out the exhibit by attending the opening reception on Friday, April 27 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in CFAM. The exhibition typically lasts until May 11, but there is the possibility that the Senior Showcase will remain in the CFAM for the duration of the summer. Do not risk missing this multi-faceted show! Mark your calendars for the reception and prepare to be impressed by the work of your classmates.
Burgdorf describes her exhibit as a "series of small-scale portraits that encompass various emotions." She is "using acrylic paints on panel and then drawing the portrait over that in charcoal." She supplements this by "using color and brushwork in the background to echo the emotional tone of the actual portrait." As for the symbolism in her work, Burgdorf says: "My work plays with the idea of individuality versus commonality, and I'm using different emotions to outwardly represent the concept of human beings as individuals. There's about 20 of these little portraits, ranging in size from 6"x6" to 8"x10", and I have them all arranged close together in one big cluster to represent the broader theme that our capacity for emotion connects us as human beings. We're all very different people but we all experience the same emotions, and the fact that we can experience those emotions is a trait that is uniquely human. So we're all connected in our humanness despite our need for individuality."
To whet your appetite for some of the other art that will be included, Bridge's exhibit will include iconic style paintings that display contemporary individuals posed like those of religious paintings in the Middle Ages. Harris' exhibit will consist of close-up color photography of nature. Moore's work contains psychedelic poster art that has been crafted using digital printmaking. McNoldy's elaborate exhibit will include an installation, meaning that she will have the area constructed to resemble a living room. It will feature a TV to play her short film about an Orlando musician named Joe Cucci. Alongside her film, Kelly will display black and white portraitures.
McNoldy says of the Senior Showcase: "I think it's a good thing to do because it's nice to have a museum show under your belt graduating as an art major."
You can check out the exhibit by attending the opening reception on Friday, April 27 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in CFAM. The exhibition typically lasts until May 11, but there is the possibility that the Senior Showcase will remain in the CFAM for the duration of the summer. Do not risk missing this multi-faceted show! Mark your calendars for the reception and prepare to be impressed by the work of your classmates.
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