The Western Carolina University (WCU) Fine Art Museum will host its annual Bachelor of Fine Art Portfolio Exhibition beginning Tuesday, November 7, and running through December 8. The exhibition features the art portfolios of 13 graduating studio art majors in the WCU School of Art and Design. There will be a reception for the exhibition on Thursday, December 7, from 5–7 p.m.
Take the Scenic Route. Julie Youtz, artist
Josh Jordan’s painting series Let’s Play Oligopoly! explores themes of power and class dynamics through a parody of the board game Monopoly. “My inspiration for the work was the Gilded Age of American history, specifically the monopolies and class divides that stemmed from that,” says Jordan.
“For hundreds of years, money and power have been the cause of a lot of problems in this world. Greed, selfishness and entitlement are issues in American culture. I want people to see that. I want people to learn and take something away from my work.”
Linzy Rainess will display a series of five acrylic paintings in the exhibition titled Invasion of Privacy. Meant to be viewed sequentially, the paintings are inspired by a collection of staged bathroom photos by Cindy Sherman. “My art also focuses on the bathroom, which I consider my safe place,” says Rainess. “It portrays this idea of someone walking into a room where I am fully myself and completely vulnerable. These art pieces are supposed to make the viewer uncomfortable through the construction of odd angles, unusual color choices and selective figure positions.”
Let’s Play Oligopoly! (Intertanement).
Josh Jordan, artist
The work displayed in the Bachelor of Fine Art Portfolio Exhibition is a culmination of the BFA Portfolio course, which focuses on professional development and the creation of a capstone project, a final body of work inspired by research and the lived experience of the artist. “This was an open project that we defined for ourselves, being able to choose the materials and medium we wanted,” says Rainess. “Some of us are drawing, painting and photographing, while others are creating performative and three-dimensional work. When a project is open like that, it allows us to express ourselves freely and explore more meaningful artwork.”
The WCU Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center is located at 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee. Visit arts.wcu.edu/bfa2023 to learn more about the exhibition and reception. To see BAC’s full calendar of events, visit arts.wcu.edu/explore or call 828.227.ARTS.
