BFA seniors show exhibits culmination of students' Southeast experience

Graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts seniors in the Southeast Missouri State University Department of Art will have a series of art exhibitions from April 18 through May 13 in the River Campus Art Gallery.

The students have an entire semester to work on projects, and most of them start early with prep work. Every show will display what each senior has learned, Justin Miller, gallery coordinator, said.

“We see the BFA degree as a professional degree, and as part of that professional degree, we expect them to think about those things that go along with being a professional artist,” Miller said. “It’s an opportunity to do a very thoughtful body of work.”

The students will set up the Sunday before and will be on display Monday through Friday. Bethanie Thirkell and Lacy Bockhoff will be in the first week. Jade Notice, La’Promise Stanford and LeeAnn Luebbers will be the second week. Megan Stanley, Jae Allison and Chad Holloway will be in the third section. Angela Kuri, Jordan Jansen and Zach Jones will be in the final section. Each show will have a closing reception on the Friday night of their week.

“One of the fun things about the show is that it’s very diverse shows, let alone mediums,” Miller said. “The individual’s shows, themselves, I think will very much take on the personality of the student.”

Luebbers, a senior in the second exhibition, has made a webcomic based off of characters she and a few friends created more than eight years ago. Her comic is titled “Bishop” and can be found at bichopcomic.com, along with the book version sold at the exhibition.

“I really value what I do, and if it wasn’t for other people before me who made comic books, I wouldn’t be who I was,” said Luebbers. “I hope that other people can be open to the idea of reevaluating what art can be and what art is and what kind of art is important to the word and to other people.”

Megan Stanley, who is in the third exhibition, is working on getting into a special effects makeup school. Her show, “Divided We Fall”, consists of a set as well as costumes, makeup and wigs on actors portraying original characters. The costumes and wigs will be on mannequins until the closing reception on May 6, said Stanley.

“I want people to take selfies on the throne,” Stanley said. “I want people to experience it. People don’t get to go up on stage very often when they are going to a performance of something.”

“I hope people just come look at it,” Miller said.