Each year Asbury art students of the senior class earn the opportunity to showcase their artwork in many different galleries across campus, building up the projects they’ve completed throughout their entire time at Asbury.
Not to mention, freshmen and other students get to help in the fun of setting up the galleries each year to earn their required hours. In this week’s edition, senior Rebecca Sams discussed her gallery and artistic journey.
Sams is a member of the Faithful class and is coming to the end of her time here at Asbury. Her last few years have displayed much growth in her ability and challenged her to think deeper about art styles.
“In my opinion, my art just wasn’t good when I came to Asbury. I didn’t know what I was doing, I wasn’t confident in my abilities, and I needed to be pushed,” she said. “I’ve grown immensely because of feedback, criticism, and support from my professors, peers, and friends. Now I feel much more confident as an artist.”
Sams, along with many other art students, has a themed concept for her gallery. They can tell a story and share their voice through the arts. Many spectators attend the receptions hosted by the Art Department and can witness these stories being told.
As for Sams, she feels that her art is different and can be portrayed in a variety of multiple ideas. She tells a story of her very own and seeks for each viewer to find themselves within her art.
“While my show is very personal and has a specific meaning to me, I want my work to be open to interpretation by the viewer,” she said. “My big hope is that my art show will inspire other art students to create weird, unconventional art.”
For many senior art students, this piece is like their final goodbye and greatest accomplishment. They get to finally share their art with a community of people before they step into the platform of the real world. While some know exactly what they will do next, others do not.
Sams shared a little of what her next steps look like after graduation.
“I still don’t know exactly what I’m doing after graduation, but I plan to continue making art for myself and others. I’m still going to make collages, but I’d like to venture into new mediums,” she said. “There’s just so much that one can do with art, and I want to try it all.”
While these seniors are showcasing their final pieces in the galleries across campus, there are doors of limitless opportunities being presented to them for their next chapter.
