The School of Art, Art History and Design will present the work of graduating undergraduate students in the Fall 2022 Capstone Exhibition.
This biannual event is held at the end of the fall and spring semesters and features the work of each semester’s graduating bachelor of arts and bachelor of fine arts seniors in studio art and graphic design, a culmination of their coursework and exploration.
The exhibition will be on display in the Eisentrager-Howard Gallery in Richards Hall from Dec. 12-16. A closing reception will be 5-7 p.m. Dec. 16 in the gallery with awards announced during the reception.
A digital presentation of capstone projects will also be available beginning Dec. 12. Viewers will find a page for each student that contains information on their personal research, as well as links to further information such as websites, CVs, social media handles and more.
The following 17 students are participating in this year’s Capstone exhibition, listed with their hometowns:
Studio Art: Tiffany Agee, Ashland; Elisa Dorsey, Fremont; Chas Hyman, Laurinburg, North Carolina; Maggie Nava, Omaha; and Jamie Reigert, Lincoln.
Graphic Design: Jackson Brehm (hometown not available); Paige DeBrie, Lincoln; Rachel Dempsey, Omaha; Anna Dimig, Omaha; Sam Fergen, Lincoln; Maddie Gaukel, Omaha; Madeleine May, Lincoln; Ben Meiergerd, West Point; Ryan Meyer, Omaha; Emily Pietrzak, Omaha; and Vera Vetsalo, Lincoln.
“It has been a pleasure getting to know this unusually small class of studio art students over the semester as their capstone instructor,” said Dana Fritz, Hixson-Lied Professor of art. “Each of them has been working with their faculty mentor in their respective studio area to develop a body of thesis work for the capstone exhibition. Their work spans painting, drawing, printmaking and photography and is based on the diverse personal experiences of each student, often touching on themes of family, childhood, tradition, loss, social and emotional challenges, and navigating early adulthood.”
Pietrzak, a senior graphic design major, said the Capstone Exhibition is a critical part of their education.
“The capstone project gives designers the opportunity to really show what we can do in our specific areas of interest,” she said. “My project, ‘Don’t Waste,’ is an immersive movie theater experience that shows the dangers of food, plastic and textile waste. This semester, I’ve gotten the chance to push myself to see how far I can take this project.”
The Eisentrager-Howard Gallery is located on the first floor of Richards Hall. Admission to the gallery is free and open to the public. Gallery hours for the exhibition are from 12:30-4:30 p.m. weekdays.
