LIAM EASLEY, TRUMPET ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
As the year winds down, the senior art exhibit is coming quickly.
Four senior art students have gotten their capstone projects turned in for all to see when the exhibit opens to the public on April 8.
The exhibit is the art major capstone team-taught by art professors Thomas Payne and Barbara Fedeler. The project aims to focus on the students’ strength built upon during their four years at Wartburg. Outside of not being able to try something foreign, the students have total freedom with their projects. The students consult with gallery Director Johanna Kramer-Weston to figure out how they will show their work in the Waldemar A. Schmidt Art Gallery.
Lydia Revier is a graphic design and international relations double major, and she will present three large prints. Sam Madson, another graphic design major, has been focusing on animation during his college years, and he will be showing an animated short. Bergan Blommers is a graphic design and art education double major, and she will showcase her skill with print-making.
Finally, there’s Emma Williams, an art and graphic design double major, who will combine photography and graphic design.
“My work is a feminist commentary on the negative experience that women have with sexist, mysogynistic, degrading and limiting comments that people make,” Williams said. “I’m using very empowering photographs of some female volunteers, and so it’s really interesting to see that contrast in my work of these comments that people have said to women and how strong and resilient they are.”
After deciding a path for their projects, each student did extensive research to properly execute what they were aiming to communicate, as the first half of their projects consist of research before they begin executing their ideas. Williams’ research consisted of finding volunteers to model for her.
“My project has changed a lot in the past two and a half months,” Williams said. “It originally started out as self portraits, but I decided that sharing the stories of women goes further than myself, and feminism is so much more than just my own experience. So, it was important for me that I uplift the voices and perspectives of other women.”
After this realization, Williams began asking women to give testimonials for her project. After publicizing her desire to tell the stories of and photograph other women, Williams received almost 30 different responses, which allowed her to get around 1,500 photos to pick from for her project.
After giving herself plenty of photos to choose from, Williams settled on 20 for her final draft. According to Williams, she printed out anywhere between 100 and 150 drafts throughout her editing phase.
Williams’ project just shows the work behind one of these art installations, which is one takeaway the students are hoping will be communicated to their audience.
Payne said he expects viewers to find new perspectives.
“I think they all have a unique perspective that everybody can learn from; I know I have. Learn from it in a fun way; you enjoy seeing how other people look at the world and interpret the world. This is for different perspectives.”
The senior art exhibit will open on April 8 and will close on May 30. For more questions, email j.kramerweston@wartburg.edu.
Knight Wire 
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