The walk to a university library is often cluttered with intrusive thoughts. There are so many things to consider. What assignments deserve the highest priority? The list of things to complete only seems to grow. What needs to be done after the study session? Laundry, dishes and other chores always seem to pile up. Yet right inside the heavy doors of Kinlaw this March, there is a display that would even stop the busiest student in his or her tracks.
A pop-up gallery fills the typically empty marble floor of the entryway. The pieces vary in size and style but one thing is constant. Each piece makes students think and offers a moment of pause from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
The gallery on display in the library is just one of three senior showcases of student art available for viewing through April 2. These showcases are the work of Dakota Muth, Dora Daniel and Madison Lewis, Asbury University seniors. There are also showcases in the galleries at the entrance of ZT’s Bistro, above the cafeteria.
These showcases are pivotal to the career of Asbury art & design majors. The exhibits allow the artists to curate a collection of work centering around a unifying theme while displaying all they have learned through their time in the Asbury program.
This process begins with formulating ideas in a class in the fall semester. Not all students stick to what they came up with in these sessions.
“Honestly the way art works for me is that it is built on top of all the stuff leading up to it,” said Daniel. “So I began preparing by getting started with a lot of ideas, failing, restarting, and [doing that] all over again. I wanted to create a show which had the potential to move people.”
After a theme is developed, the artists go through the long process of creating work they would like to display. Muth commented on how important the critique structure of the Art Department has in this process of developing work. He also noted how valuable he found the community the artists build with each other, as they get to know each other and strive to help each other make work as good as it can be.
“There are things that people have seen in my work that I didn’t even notice I put in there,” said Muth. “That’s exactly what I want to do it for, so that people can create their own meaning from what I’m portraying.”
Even though each viewer may get something different from the display, it doesn’t mean the pieces were created without intentionality.
“Everything that I do is intentional, down to each line,” said Muth.
When describing his experience with Asbury’s Art & Design Department, Muth said, “[It was] an experience I don’t think I would have gotten anywhere else.”
For each of the artists, making creative works has been a priority since they were children.
“Art has been a strong constant in my life since I was young,” said Daniel.
Studying art at the university level sometimes draws skepticism from peers and adults, but the artists interviewed here were all confident in their decision to pursue their passion.
“I will continue to cultivate my art into a business and integrate as much art into my life as I can,” said Daniel.
When Muth was asked if he had any advice to give other people, art savvy or not, he said, “Do what you want to do. Don’t let other people decide for you.”
