By Steph Wilson
Contributor
Seton Hill University’s (SHU) Harlan Gallery will be showcasing artwork from 18 graduating seniors from March 27 until May 12. The senior exhibits were kicked off with “Brushes and Blends,” a duo show by Lara Heinz and Katie Fritsch held from March 27 until March 31. The show “Four” followed from April 2-6 featuring four seniors, Andrew Ostach, Anthony Safran, Kristi Thiry and Aero Windwalker. “The idea of [the senior exhibits] is to establish yourself as an emerging artist, to showcase your best work and to show what you can do,” said Carol Brode, assistant professor of art and director of the Harlan Gallery. The senior shows are also intended to help students practice and prepare for job interviews where they need to talk about and defend their work to potential employers. Ostach, who already has experience defending his work actually showcased a piece in “Four” that helped him in the working environment: “My favorite piece is my magazine layout because I chose to do a whole magazine, I went beyond what we were supposed to do [for class]. It was how I got my internship,” he said. Each exhibit has it’s own personality and design ideas based on the student artists’ prospectives. “Brushes and Blends” transformed Harlan Gallery into a coffee shop to display the work of Heinz and Fritsch while “Four” incorporated each artist to flow into one show. “We didn’t want it to be four separate exhibits,” said Ostach. Ostach, Safran, Thiry and Windwalker also used the entire gallery to showcase their work. “We put [our show’s] fliers in the back room to invite you in, to say there is more – come look,” said Ostach. The foursome has also created distinctive pieces for each of their own specific genres and personal styles, but focused on bringing each piece together to create one cohesive exhibit. “I think the show is an overall objective depiction of my graphic works at SHU,” said Windwalker who exhibited his photos, including a composition entitled “Together.” Thiry showcased a “Zombieland” movie poster. “It’s very modern. It contains a lot of back-line from the movie, which helps people relate and understand the poster better,” she said. The next exhibit “The Crash Factory,” will run from April 8 until April 12 and features April Ashoff, Ashley Jervis, Melissa Riggatire and Christine Scholl. “All are welcome to come view our artwork, lounge and enjoy the creative clashing of our four unique artistic visions,” said Jervis. *Additional reporting by Chelsea Oliver, Senior Staff Writer [imagebrowser id=29]