BFA Seniors to Present Exhibition at Bradbury Art Museum

JONESBORO – Bradbury Art Museum (BAM) will open an exhibition featuring graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts seniors from Arkansas State University (A-State) as well as local high school students from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6.

"Human Condition" will showcase the work of five graduating seniors from the Department of Art + Design: Ethan Balch of Jonesboro, Grace Burton of Hot Springs, Emilee Owen of Paragould, Savannah Sifford of Jonesboro and Marcy Wallace of Jonesboro.

The exhibitions will continue through Tuesday, Dec. 17.

All five will receive their Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees in studio art this fall. The senior exhibition represents the culmination of the students' time as BFA artists, serving as a visual thesis and the capstone of their degree program.

Balch is an interdisciplinary sculptor who primarily works on large-scale objects, exploring emotion and vulnerability. He is deeply influenced by hard rock, punk rock and heavy metal music.

Burton creates work based on fabric collage techniques, photography, painting and found materials. Her multimedia BFA thesis explores the theme of generational exchange between women and their often-overlooked domestic labor. She draws inspiration from the creative women who shaped her upbringing, and she strives to honor their influence on her identity and artistic practice.

Owen uses photography and painting to explore her personal identity in relation to Southern identity. Her portraits of people and Southern wildlife serve as a form of self-portraiture.

Sifford is a photographer whose long-term project "Chrysalis" explores the awkwardness and transformative nature of adolescence through images of her younger sister. She revisits her own memories as a teenager as she observes her sister's developing identity. Sifford compares this work to the protective shell surrounding a caterpillar as it undergoes metamorphosis, and she hopes to serve as that cocoon for her sister.

Wallace unexpectedly uses ceramic and fiber art techniques to examine the impact of industrialization on long-standing traditional crafts. Inspired by the surrealists before her, she has swapped the conventions of ordinary objects. Wallace uses clay to create objects traditionally knitted or quilted, such as rugs; she uses fiber techniques to create objects typically made of ceramic, such as mugs.

"I remember choosing to apply to the graduate school I eventually attended because of the work of one of their undergraduate students. Our BFA artists represent the incredible work being done in the Department of Art + Design, and we're thrilled the community has the opportunity to see it firsthand," said Madeline McMahan, assistant director and curator at Bradbury Art Museum.

Also on display alongside the senior exhibitions is "Inspired 10," a competitive exhibition featuring the work of regional high school students.

Museum admission is free. BAM is located at the Fowler Center, 201 Olympic Dr. Hours are 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For more information about the exhibitions, you can email visitBAM@AState.edu or call 870-972-3765.