Utah State University's Art Program Showcases Seniors

A new gallery with paintings, drawings, and ceramic art can be found in the Fine Arts Center at Utah State University. These aren't the products of famous artists, but rather the work of seniors about to graduate from the program.

Shawn Koga and Mijke Butts are two of the six seniors presenting their artwork to the student public at Utah State. Dennise Gackstetter is the fine arts advisor for the art department and helps head the Senior BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) exhibition.

“This event really helps our seniors put together a strong portfolio,” Gackstetter said. “We want to teach our students that they are not just artists, they have to identify their personal skills and use them at whatever they do.”

This is the third time senior artwork has been on display this semester in the Fine Arts Center. The Senior BFA exhibition started on March 25 and continues to April 5.

"The best feeling is knowing that I will be done soon," Koga said. "Seeing a good body of artwork put together and seeing the positive reactions is something that I have really liked. It was really stressful to do all of the art so it's rewarding to get good feedback."

The BFA exhibition is a way for seniors to gain experience by putting together art galleries themselves. The students are in charge of organizing the gallery floor and grouping the artwork the way they would like.

"We spent all day putting it together and matching colors and balancing the types of work," Butts said. "We mixed it so that no one person shined greater than another."

Utah State's art program not only provides an occasion for the names and artwork of the students to be recognized, but it is also a way for the university to receive credit for what they are teaching.

"Utah State has done a fantastic job at helping me understand what the art world is looking for," Butts said. "They also helped me to tweak my style and technical skill to able to paint the way I want to paint. This exhibition is a way for the university to show and display our work and what we have learned."

Gackstetter made sure that the senior’s class led them to be prepared for the exhibition and a career in art.
 

“Many of our students continue to make art,” Gackstetter said. “They go on to graduate schools, get residencies or work in art galleries. This exhibition prepares them for that.”

Madness after March

"The Big Dance" is what many fans call the college basketball tournament known as March Madness. It features sixty-eight of the nation's premier teams facing off in single elimination game play. It's considered one of the greatest times in sports and offers almost all the emotions a fan can experience in a short amount of time. Over 30 million people watch the final four games every year.

After March Madness is when most college athletes will need to be at their best. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association only 1.2 percent of all college basketball players will go on to play professionally.

"I think it is way fun and exciting to watch, but I don't really think about what happens to players after March Madness," said Tanner Field, a freshman and devoted college basketball fan majoring in business finance. "The players probably just finish school like everyone else."

Most college athletes graduate college and move onto careers in business, communications, and other fields just like other graduates.

"Coaches don't really talk about how many athletes go pro," said Marcel Davis, starting point guard for the Utah State University basketball team. "I am undeclared right now, but I will major in engineering. "

For many college athletes, a degree in the field of their choice is their first priority. Colleges help them with requirements for grade averages, and tutors that can aid student athletes with subjects in which they are enrolled. Scott Ross is a student athlete who showed just how much his education meant to him.

"I played semi-pro for six months for a team called BFW Tornadoes," Ross said. "I also played soccer for Utah State, but I stopped playing because I knew I needed to get better grades. I hope to go to grad school and get my PHD to become a physical therapist."

For the majority of student athletes the madness truly will come after March. They prepare for graduation and a life beyond the playing field, though many like Davis still enjoy watching as many games as he can.

"My favorite part of March Madness are all of the crazy upsets," Davis said. "Any team can win and any team has a chance."

Biography

My name is Jordan Groff, and I am a current student at Utah State University. I am double majoring in journalism and French, and minoring in marketing. I am a junior and will graduate in the next two years. I have loved my college experience, and hope to enjoy my post-college life even more. Now I just have to get that far!

Blog Outlook

Hey everyone!

My name is Jordan Groff, and I will be talking about the many different aspects of college graduation. I will be researching statistics of job placement, college athletes going professional and some of the best ways to boost experience in your field. As one college student to another, I hope we can find some great ways to be successful after graduation.