Exhibit Culminates McKendree Art Majors’ Experience
All Senior Show at Gallery of Art, May 9-20
Lebanon, Ill. — McKendree University’s senior art majors will showcase their work
at the McKendree Gallery of Art’s first Senior Art Show, May 9 to 20, at 224 St. LouisSt.
in downtown Lebanon. The exhibition is the culmination of the students' art experience
at McKendree and their final exhibition before they graduate on May 11.
Christine Gill, of Lakewood, Colo., works in a variety of media. “A couple 3D design
pieces are made out of wood and clay,” she said. “These pieces really focus on curves
and geometric shapes, and they protrude away from the wall. I want the audience to
feel like that the art is coming towards them. No matter what angle you look at, you
see something new and different.
She is also doing a series of paintings called ‘The All Seeing Eye’. “The human eye
fascinates me because no matter how you say you feel, your eyes always tell the truth
about how you really are feeling,” Gill said. “I want people looking into my paintings
to see how I am feeling. My paintings allow me to be expressive.”
Gill will also show some black-and-white photographic portraits, as well as images
of different eyes. “I am taking 8x10 paper and only developing bits and pieces rather
than the whole image. I want my audience to use their imagination in filling in the
rest of the image,” she said. “With all my work I want my audience to be drawn in
and be a part of it. I want to leave them wanting to see more.”
Megan Pea, of Millstadt, has created several large paintings with acrylics and house
paints on MDF board and various wood. “My artwork takes a critical view of color,”
she said. “I want my work to have an effect on how people perceive colors and how
they can bounce off one another. Sometimes they can appear in a way to push some colors
forward and back.” Pea says some of her inspiration comes from Frank Stella, Jackson
Pollock, Ellsworth Kelly, and many other artists.
Brad Wright, of Staunton, will display three drawings: “Tiger,” a pastels on paper;
“Lion Skull,” a pencil on paper; and “Flower,” a pen on paper. “A majority of these
works have not been displayed in any art show,” he said. “These are my prized possessions
and many of them have been gifts to family. They have been kind enough to loan them
back to me for the show."
Seniors Lauren Bouchard of Belleville, Stephanie Chesser of Chicago, and Justin Stern
of New Baden are also exhibiting their work in the show.
For more information about the show and other upcoming exhibits at the McKendree Gallery
of Art, visit www.mckendree.edu/artgallery.
-McK-
