By Lauren Freichels
freichelsla@mnstate.edu

MSUM’s School of Visual Arts opened the second Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts Show on Nov. 3.
It is the second of two shows this fall and is located in the Roland Dille Center for the Arts gallery.
Each year, fall and spring shows feature works of soon-to-be-graduates from the various art programs including printmaking, painting, woodcutting, graphic design and more. Exhibitions are open for about half of a month, and each one has an opening reception party.
The current exhibition is the work of eight senior students: Morgan Prouty, Brittany DeMars, Andrea Dacar, Saralynn Dobler, Bristy Bourgoin, Kathryn Jacobson, Taylor Belile and Christina Sepulveda.
Many of the art students have spent months working on their final, and often favorite, project for the B.F.A. show to celebrate their upcoming graduation. The exhibitions are a chance for the students to display their hard work, skill and knowledge acquired throughout their years of education at MSUM.
“It feels good [to be in a show],” said Prouty, a photography major. “It gives a sense of closure, and it’s nice to have our work recognized.”
Of Prouty’s five featured photos, two are abstract, and three focus on the light found in ordinary and overlooked places.
Brittany DeMars’s set of three etchings is also featured in the show. Each one has an antique photo that she had collected and placed on top of a print to complete the scene. DeMars will be graduating with a B.F.A. in photography and B.A. in printmaking. Her inspiration for the pieces was to “give new life to old photos.”
Andrea Dacar had begun work on her B.F.A. project in June. With advice from a professor and fellow upperclassmen, Dacar created a brand system for the potential Olympics in Oslo, Norway. The creation process helped Dacar “learn how to take a comment.” The system includes a detailed website, signage, and apparel. While she has been doing graphic design projects for the last four years, this was her biggest.
The second exhibition is open until Nov. 20, but the opening reception was Thursday, Nov. 6 in the gallery. The featured student artists and their works were there, along with refreshments. The reception was open to the public and attended by fellow students, friends, family, and faculty.
President Anne Blackhurst attended the show’s reception. “It’s amazing,” she said. “Our students are incredibly talented.” Blackhurst said the students have been given a great opportunity to make projects they can use to show employers their skills. She, along with others, appreciated the range of art, from the fine arts of painting and photography to the technological graphic designs.