The Art Department’s annual senior art exhibition will remain open in the Frankie G. Weems Art Gallery until May 4, 2023. This year, the exhibition is entitled “Transfiguration.” Each featured artist contributed work that embodies this theme and illustrates their growth as artists during their time at Meredith. This year's featured artists are Saba Ahmed, Caitlin Allen, Dora Fromer, Isabel Ruiz, Olivia Steen, Bridget Utley and Mickey Wagner.
Meredith’s Art Department prides itself on its well-rounded art education, in which every art student must take classes in a variety of mediums including painting, sculpture and fibers. The art department has a staff full of award-winning artists, and the faculty in the art department is known for being supportive and experienced.
Dora Fromer, ‘23, a multidisciplinary art major with a focus on fibers, photography and graphic design, said that she wished she had taken more marketing classes to learn more about promoting her work. Fromer also commented, “I really feel I’ve gained the knowledge [and] skill to advance my work, not to mention I have gained media skills.” She states that after graduation, she is planning her next exhibition piece of fused glass.
Isabel Ruiz, ‘23, works mainly in sculpting and painting and discusses their work in the exhibition as a representation of personal growth and perception of the body. They exclude faces in figures to create a representation of the body that other people can connect with. Reflecting on their artistic growth at Meredith, they said, “I’ve grown a lot in media range, concept development and technical skill that I didn’t know was possible.” Before beginning their education at the College, Ruiz “mostly focused on drawing and simple painting.”
Here, they said they have “been able to branch out” and experience different media like “painting with oils, sculpting with ceramics and plaster [and] fibers work.” They concluded, “With concept development, I have developed my teams and ideas with my art a lot deeper than I thought possible, which leads to more complex ideas and feelings attached with my work.” After graduation Ruiz plans to continue art recreationally, taking commissions and attending artist residencies.
Saba Zainab Ahmed, ‘23, primarily works with ceramics and oil paint and stated that she wished she had more time to take studio classes. The work she is exhibiting now showcases how she has grown conceptually and in craftsmanship and aims to appeal to wider audiences. She also said, “Meredith has sparked tremendous growth for me in my art because I never would have really pushed myself as an artist conceptually had it not been for professors like Holly Fischer.” After graduation, she plans to continue making art alongside being an art teacher.
These three creatives will have their work featured in the senior exhibition alongside several other Meredith artists. Be sure to visit the art gallery before it closes to support the hard work and craftsmanship put into each piece by these artists.
By Liese Devine, Reporter