(Left) Saint Rita Altarpiece. (Right) Sacred Heart Altarpiece. Samantha Taube, artist
The Western Carolina University Bardo Arts Center hosts the annual Bachelor of Fine Art Portfolio Exhibition Tuesday, November 12, through December 6. Fourteen studio majors from the WCU School of Art and Design will present their capstone projects in concentrations that may include painting, drawing, ceramics, photography, sculpture, print media and book arts. A reception with a gallery talk and complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be held Thursday, November 14, from 5–7 p.m.
For Samantha Taube, the exhibition will be her last as an undergraduate student, and preparing for it, she says, has provided “the experience and resources I need to begin my career and eventually enter graduate school.”
Her altarpieces draw upon the Catholic faith that, although she has left it, has been influential in her life. “I aim to explore spirituality, identity and nostalgia in my work,” she says. “Having grown up Catholic, I often found myself more intrigued by the rituals and symbolism rather than what I was taught.” Other inspirations, including feminist thought, Jewish heritage from her grandfather and childhood influences on gender roles and identity, contribute to her work.
“My altarpieces use vibrant patterns and colors to create visual interest and use humor to make them, well, fun,” she says. To that end, she creates characters such as Chicken Mary to explore the feminist Mary Daly’s writings about the relationship of Mary and the Catholic Church. Satire is often part of her work and, she says, “I often push to see what one would consider sacrilegious.”
Samara McKnight will also display her work—a series of oil paintings—for the first time in a professional exhibition in a gallery setting. “These representations of lively versus decaying flowers are my way of representing life and death as well as growth,” McKnight says. “The most important thing that I would like the public to take away from my work as an artist is that my art focuses on emotional exploration through my own creative expression.”
Other students participating in the exhibition are Dani Akre, Amber Bachmann, Katie Barnett, Macie Bishop, Zoila Carrasco, Isaiah Davis, Nikayla Glover, Riley Highland, Naomi Michelle, Valeria Ramos, Jessica Rial and Grace Turner.
Students in the WCU School of Art and Design prepare for careers or postgraduate studies in fine art, graphic or interior design and other related disciplines. The BFA curriculum provides a foundation in drawing, 2D and 3D design, and art history, after which students select a studio emphasis as a focus.
An exhibition such as this one, Taube adds, offers students a chance to learn about installing, presenting and discussing work, and also bookends the program for art students. “While internships are an option for the studio program, this is usually the way most students end their time and showcase what their years of studying and perfecting their talents are about,” she says.
The WCU Bardo Arts Center is located at 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee. Museum hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information about programming, call 828.227.2787 or visit BardoArtsCenter.wcu.edu.
