“Composite,” a show highlighting the artwork of graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) students, opened in the Vicki Myhren Gallery in Shwayder Art Building on May 15. About one hundred family, friends and art-lovers attended the catered and cocktailed event, which showcased the diverse work of B.F.A. seniors Stephanie Biller, Kim Carbonari, Brandon Finamore, Mikaela Fortune, Sarah Fukami, Jessica Gilbert, Lindsey Hubbell, Tingyu Lin, Tanner Minock and Caleb Wassell. The B.F.A. show, one of three openings that night (the work of the B.A. seniors was displayed in the lobby, and the work of Emerging Digital Practices students was exhibited upstairs), is the culmination of a rigorous year-long capstone project meant to prep students for working in the art world.
“It’s been an intense period,” said printmaking Professor Catherine Chauvin. “It’s a unique program, and it’s a lot of work for everybody. It’s been a real learning process, but I’m hoping they’ll have the tools to continue their work after this.”
Along with a team of other art department faculty, Chauvin served as a mentor to the B.F.A. students. Throughout the B.F.A. process this year, students met with faculty for critiques and lectures each week.
“I’m proud of all them, in terms of their growth, confidence and the care they all have for their work,” Chauvin went on. “And sometimes you go to shows and see the students copying their professors. Here, all of the work is unique.”
Each student undertook a project of their own design using methods of their choosing, creating a distinct show highlighting multiple points of view. There was a sculpture of a fashionista mermaid by Minock, a stunning self-portrait by Lin and photographic collages by Hubbell, to name a few. One student, Fukami, centered her work on immigrant identity, specifically that of Japanese Americans during WWII. She initially struggled with getting too personal in her project.
“At the beginning of this project, I thought it would be better to go universal [rather] than personal. I didn’t want my work to alienate the viewer and make them feel like they couldn’t connect to it,” said Fukami. “[Then] I had a critique with a visiting artist and she told me, ‘The more personal you make a work, the more universal it becomes.’ And that has really come true through this whole process.”
Fukami used her work, a combination of printmaking, photography and painting on Plexiglas, about her great-grandfather’s experience in Japanese internment camps to tell a more universal story about identity.
Fellow B.F.A. student Carbonari, whose paintings focused on the objectification of female form, also learned to share art that had always been very personal.
“[Art] was always a means of personal expression, not necessarily something I would academically pursue,” said Carbonari. “[When I came to DU] I knew I wanted to do art, but I had never taken a proper class or had formal training. So I came here, took the classes and decided [to pursue] it.”
The B.F.A. program also taught Carbonari a lot about the importance of community and finding her voice alongside others. The B.F.A. students’ studio spaces in the Nagel Art Studios were in close proximity, so camaraderie and support were inevitable.
“The B.F.A. class this year is a really strong community-based group; we get along really well,” said Carbonari. “It’s really helpful to be able to critique each other and help each other and be a part of everyone’s process.”
Finamore, another B.F.A. senior, added, “It’s a good test run for the real world. You’re not only dealing with your vision, but the vision of [others]. Everyone’s got their own opinions of how things should be. The hardest part has been trying to figure out, for us, what we’re going to do and what we’re going to be happy with.”
In Finamore’s case, this meant taking into account scientific interests, influences of other artists and faculty critiques when creating his still-life paintings of birds.
“Getting all of this feedback tonight is great,” Finamore went on. “We have a show that looks fantastic and work that all of us are extremely proud of, so it’s definitely opened a wider door than I think we all expected.”
The B.F.A. students share a sense of relief seeing their hard work finally on display for their peers and family to see.
“It feels like a milestone,” said Fukami. “I have created this body of work that people can look at and understand [and] it feels pretty good!”
There was a lot of anticipation leading up to the event, a source of anxiety for some of the students.
“I can’t believe we’re here; I can’t believe today happened,” said Finamore. “We knew it was coming, but it was so ominous until about a day ago when we had everything up. We were all freaking out. But I think the timeline worked perfectly; everyone’s relaxed now. The encouragement [we] got tonight is definitely fuel to go on in the future.”
With their work secure on the walls and surrounded by the support of family, friends and faculty, the event is, above all, a celebration for the B.F.A. students.
“Beer in hand, I’m fantastic,” said Carbonari with a laugh. “It’s a good day.”
“Composite” will run until June 7 in the Vicki Myhren Gallery in Shwayder.
