The opening reception for the Annual Senior Thesis Art Exhibition, which was free and open to the public, took place on May 22nd from 4-6pm at the Watkins House Sweeney Art Gallery.

Students participating in the event were graduating seniors majoring in Art and working on their senior art thesis. They were Hayley Anne Hess Beaumont, Becky Brister, Lindsey Egan Brock, Jennifer Dieli, Sara Elizabeth Lantz, Andrea Myers, Alexandra Brett Olin, and Armando Rodriguez. Five of the students concentrated their work around photography, two were involved with mixed media instillations, and one exhibited paintings.

Curator Karen Rapp, who contributed with the organization of the exhibit said, “Students worked hard on their individual pieces and spent all year preparing for them.” Senior Art Major Hayley Anne Hess Beaumont spent over 300 hours planning for her senior thesis. She exhibited a collection of black and white digitally altered photographs that were based on the idea that it is impossible to tell the difference between sincerity and mimicry. Her pieces were inspired by a number of artists such as Jeff Wall, Cindy Sherman, and Henri Cartier-Bresson.

Each project contained its own different field of uniqueness. Some of the pictures taken were self and family portraits, and many of the students intertwined elements dealing with their lives. Beaumont said, “The imagination and creativity that went into each piece was spectacular.” The second exhibition, a separate unique collection of art work free and open to the public, is available for public viewing from June 6-17 in the Sweeney Art Gallery.