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.”