College of the Ozarks to host Senior Art Exhibit, “A Collective Moment,” April 24-28

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — Seniors at College of the Ozarks will be displaying their works of art in the Boger Art Gallery, April 24-30, in an exhibit entitled “A Collective Moment.” The senior art majors have been preparing the pieces of art all semester.

Located inside the Jones Learning Center, the Boger Art Gallery is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“The senior exhibition is a celebration of the gifts and talents God has given our graduating studio art majors, to interpret the beauty of His creation which plays out in their individual lives and journeys,” said Michael Ashley, assistant professor of art. “This is the opportunity to showcase and finish their work in a professional way and to set up and present it in a formal gallery.Each one of them has grown in artistic concept, creativity, and craftmanship but more importantly, in character and love as citizens of heaven.”

The seniors being showcased are as follows:

• Peyton Benfield, studio art and computer art major from Warrenton, Missouri
• Valerie Clark, studio art and ceramics major from Millington, Tennessee
• Blaise Gozé, studio art and graphic design major from Rogers, Arkansas
• Jendaya Lilly, biblical and theological studies and ceramics major from Branson, Missouri
• Mathew Loftis, studio art and graphic design major from Ozark, Missouri
• Emily Shepherd, studio art and graphic design major from Centerton, Missouri
• Madison Stutzman, graphic design major from London, Arkansas

“Senior Exhibition is something all art majors look forward to throughout their entire college experience,” said Emily Shepherd, senior studio art and graphic design major. “To make a career as an artist, it's important to have the technical skill of creating but also the ability to talk about the themes behind your work and the understanding of how to display it professionally. We are taught to dig deep into our work and try to understand why we create what we do and how other artists have influenced our own work. Having discovered why I create in my unique style, I was able to, in the words of professor Michael Ashley, ‘Work with reckless abandon!’”

“This experience has been challenging but ultimately rewarding,” said Madison Stutzman, senior graphic design major. “After four years of countless art classes, I can finally see the results of the skills that have continued to be instilled in me by my professors. I feel more than prepared to continue to pursue art after college through many outlets, like event planning, ceramics, graphic design, and making prints in the comfort of my own home.”