The Reflector

Issue date: 11/13/07 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Kenya Griffin A modern wood sculpture fills the center of the McComas Hall art gallery. It is one example of the work on display at "Piece," the fall 2007 Bachelor's of Fine Arts senior thesis exhibit.

Ten seniors worked for two months drawing, sculpting, painting and planning their gallery reception in order to prepare for their senior art exhibit.

Mississippi State University students in the fine arts emphasis of the department of architecture, art and design must participate in a bachelor of fine arts exhibit as part of their requirements for graduation.

This semester's exhibit, "Piece," features the work of Mark Bains, Christy Chapman, Tina Hebert, Nicholas Henderson, Aaron McElfish, Frances Miller, Lindsey Perkins, Rainey Rogers, McLeod Satterfield and Troy Smith.

The students do 100 percent of the work, from creating the art to planning the reception and the public relations, said senior fine arts coordinator Brent Funderburk.

"They become a working museum in putting this together," Funderburk said.

The exhibit's name was chosen by the 10 students to represent how the differences in their works fit together.

"'Piece' is about the fact that profoundly dissimilar people can create the most dynamic unity," Funderburk said. "Each puzzle piece is necessary in our diversity to make the truest picture of humanity [and] complete the puzzle of our chaotic times."

Ten graduating students is a new record for the department.

"This is the largest BFA graduating class in the department's history," art department head Kay Demarsche said.

She said that with the enrollment increases, the department of architecture, art and design has experienced the fourth-largest increase on the MSU campus.

"We're the largest art program in Mississippi," Funderburk said. "We're graduating about 40 a year in graphic design and about 20 in here, which is fine art."

"Piece" feautres oil paintings, watercolor and wax and pigment paintings, graphic narratives, murals, wood sculptures and photographs.

"They're expressing exactly who they are in this exhibition," Funderburk said.

A graphic storyboard entitled, "The Gloaming," was created by Aaron McElfish. The work was drawn in pieces and covered an entire wall, but was only a third of the actual artwork.

Continued...

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