Senior Art Show Opens at Allegheny College

April 22, 2016 – The Department of Art at Allegheny College will open the annual Senior Projects Exhibition with a public reception in the art galleries on Tuesday, April 26 from 7 to 8 p.m. The show is an opportunity for graduating Studio Art and Art & Technology majors to present to the public their works, which are the culminating experience of their art studies.

The Spring 2016 Senior Projects Exhibition features the work of eight artists: Rebecca Anderson, Andrea Brush, Elizabeth Blaschak, Emily Cancilla, Jackson Magee, Lesly Mejia-Flores, Imani Prince and Rachel Simmons.

Rebecca Anderson’s mixed-media works question and explore the perception of mind, self and identity as influenced by regressive processes. Andrea Brush explores cultural hereditation at the intersection of Western popular culture and dynastic rule through wheat paste, video installation and a biological performance piece.

Elizabeth Blaschak creates painting delving into environmental issues and the consequences of human actions. Emily Cancilla explores the inherent “flaws” and distortion in perception of human bodies, within specific realms of gender, sexuality, femininity, masculinity and intimacy by refusing to distort or correct high-res photos of her own flesh.

Jackson Magee creates a commercial experience that unveils prison labor authorized by mainstream companies. Through a painting installation, Lesly Mejia-Flores explores the tangible layers of a nation’s history, formed as walls that fragmented its people, due to the effects of colonialism.

Imani Prince will be focusing, through a matriarchal figure sowing seeds of humanity, on the disenfranchisement of people who have been incarcerated. Rachel Simmons utilizes the imagery of mixed martial arts fighting to challenge gendered power dynamics and to describe the complexities of pain and struggle.

Both the reception and the exhibit, which will run through May 8, are free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday, 1:30-5 p.m.; and Sunday, 2-4 p.m.

The Art Galleries, which are wheelchair accessible, are located in Doane Hall of Art, east of North Main Street between College and John Streets in Meadville.

For more information, phone 814-332-4365 or visit https://sites.allegheny.edu/art/the-art-department/galleryexhibitions/