CASSIE TOMLIN / Arizona Daily Wildcat Fine arts graduate student Amy Shapiro browses through student work at the Lionel Rombach Gallery during the School of Art Annual BFA Senior Exhibition Friday afternoon.

Soon-to-be-grads show their true colors

All that doodling in kindergarten and grade school is finally paying off for 37 UA art students.

Their works, now slightly more mature, went on display at the Annual BFA Senior Exhibition last Friday evening at the School of Art's Joseph Gross Gallery.

The exhibition, which drew more than 150 visitors, features works created in a variety of mixed media, including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, printmaking and more.

Even with such a mix of textures and forms of artistic expression, the gallery truly is a magnificent sight thanks to James Schaub, curator of the exhibit.

"It's kinda scary when you get 40 different works with mixed media, then it's very interesting to see it all come together," Schaub said.

Though all seniors funded their own art pieces, only a few, such as studio art senior Jessica Lansdon, set up their own pieces.

Lansdon's "Throw Your _____ Into Space Like a Kite," a piece which incorporates googobs of string spun into several designs, took three days of careful wrapping and winding to assemble.

Deanna Chevas' piece required special attention and definitely stands out, not because of the work itself, but because of the pedestal on which the work is displayed.

Chevas used a process called direct burn out in which she folded a book up, tied string around it and cast it in bronze, producing a uniquely shaped final product. But the pedestal, made of stripped books, is what sets the piece off.

"It's a thrill" for students to see their work properly lit and displayed in a professional manner, said Isadora Tharin, a studio art senior with a focus on creative photography.

Though some students' works require more space, each work has been given equal consideration and care. For instance, Casia Herman's photographic installation is roughly six and a half feet wide and three feet tall, while Robert Rutherford's black and white photo is a typical 8-by-10-inch print.

"The nice thing is there are fewer students and more space to show works," Tharin said.

Schaub and Tharin want other students to realize that the criteria to submit work for the gallery is simple. All you need is to have graduating senior status and reply to the call for student art.

However, having an exhibit all to oneself requires a lot more work, such as submitting work and a proposal a year in advance. Christopher P. H. Krapek, also a studio art senior with a focus on creative photography, did exactly that. But, unlike the other 30-odd applicants, he won.

In addition to having his work displayed in the BFA exhibit, Krapek also has his own solo exhibition of digital photography and an audio and visual installation in the Lionel Rombach Gallery.

"It's usually a really strong work that can stand alone," said Tharin, who participated in the selection process for the solo exhibit. "That's why we give it the select space."

The Joseph Gross and Lionel Rombach Galleries are located in the School of Art Building, across from the Museum of Art.

The BFA Senior Exhibition will run until Dec. 19. Christopher P.H. Krapek's exhibition will run until Monday, Dec. 20.

For the first time, there will also be a closing reception for the BFA Gallery on Friday, Dec. 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. All events are free.