Sterling College’s senior art students open final show April 27

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Five Sterling College seniors will exhibit their final body work, Rendered, beginning on Wednesday, April 27, from 5-7:30 p.m. An opening reception will be held in the gallery of the Sterling College Art and Media Center. Working over the last semester to complete their degrees in art and design, Erica Best, Brandon Givens, Josiah Gunn, Renee Lanham and Nathan Terry will display 60 works that will be exhibited through May 13.

The public is invited to attend the opening reception as well as come by the Art and Media Center during gallery hours of Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Local schools looking to schedule a faculty-guided visit of the exhibit may do so by emailing Assistant Professor Swartz at dswartz@sterling.edu.

“It is exciting to have such a diverse group of students in this show and in the exhibit. Each student is specializing in something different – painting, graphic design, photography, printmaking, and illustration. The diversity makes not only the show stronger but the department as well, allowing visual thinkers from multiple disciplines to study with each other.

“It has been a great experience this semester to see each student excel in completely new ways and push themselves far beyond the skill level they came into the semester with. Assistant Professor David Stenulson and I are excited to reveal the final work next week and present this senior class to the public,” said Daniel Swartz, assistant professor of art and design.

Best of Hutchinson, Kansas, will display a series of oil paintings investigating portraiture of both old and young subjects. She is graduating with a degree in art and design: studio art.

Givens of Hutchinson, Kansas, is exhibiting designs he created for the racing industry. With experience in designing car wraps and a passion for racing, Givens’ work is focused on the conceptual presentation and practical application of his designs for both vehicles and environmental assets. He is graduating with concentrations in graphic design and photography.

Exhibiting a series of 12 works in fine-art photography, Gunn of Miami, Florida, has created portraits as diptych which explore the figure obscured. “In my photography I try to bring out the beauty of chaos. I believe that there is always something beautiful in an image and that an image has an amazing story behind it,” said Gunn.  

Lanham, of Urbandale, Iowa, is a third-generation Sterling College student who is completing the coursework for licensure in art education. Her exhibit consists of a series of prints made from linoleum block and focuses on the presence of animals within selected Aesop’s fables.

Illustrating concepts for both characters and scenes from the book “Black”  by Ted Dekker, Terry has completed a series of digital illustrations to complement the text. He is from Merced, California, and will graduate with concentration in graphic design and illustration.

Sterling College is a Christ-centered, four-year college located in Sterling, Kansas, with a mission to develop creative and thoughtful leaders who understand a maturing Christian faith. For more information, visit www.sterling.edu.