In the upcoming second round of senior art shows, nine graduating studio art majors will showcase their year's creative journey from April 25–May 4. These senior thesis exhibits will feature a diverse array of art forms, including acrylic painting, ceramics, graphic design, quilting, and more.
An opening reception will be held from 2–4 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, in McWethy Hall’s Peter Paul Luce Gallery, Cole Library Gallery, and Hall-Perrine in the Thomas Commons where the exhibitions will be featured. The shows are free and open to the public.
All Cornell senior studio art majors receive their own studio spaces and prepare exhibitions of entirely fresh bodies of work in the mediums of their choice. They propose their exhibitions before the department faculty, mount the exhibitions, and advertise and defend their shows in front of the art and art history professors.
Art history seniors will present their work on Sunday, April 27 at 1 p.m. in McWethy 222. Natalie Zenk ’25 will present “Investigating a Mississippian Stone Statue: Protecting Indigenous Culture,” Tess Cooper ’25 will present “Dialogue and Site Specificity: Charles Moore’s Cedar Rapids Museum of Art,” and Seth Kargol will present “American Artist's Data-Server Rack: Land and Racial Injustice.”
Here is how the artists describe their exhibitions:
Kat Andries
The major theme of Andries’ show, “All the Ways I am Not,” has to do with depression, exploring the ways it has affected them in the past and how it affects them now. Using a limited acrylic paint color palette, they invoke dread and uneasiness that come with these feelings and memories. Some of the techniques and imagery implemented in Andries’ work imitate the scrapbook that they used to use to translate these feelings into art. They also explore identity through their art through symbolism and technique. This show will be in Hall-Perrine.
Adeline Bowman
Bowman draws inspiration from women’s stories in sports, exploring themes of identity, body freedom, and the reclamation of power. Her process involves working with a range of materials, including graphics, sport-related objects, and lipstick. She is influenced by artists like Barbara Kruger, known for her playful and bold red text, and athletes like Ilona Maher, who advocates for women and their beauty in sports. Through the interplay of bold graphics and physical sports objects, her work captures the strength, tenacity, and energy of women, with vibrant red acting as a symbol of their relentless presence and power. This show will be in Hall-Perrine.
Hiner’s senior exhibition, “The Dream in Progress,” reflects her vision of establishing a ceramic studio where she can create and sell her work. Through an immersive display, Hiner’s collection emulates the future space she aspires to build. Featuring a diverse range of ceramic techniques, Hiner’s work highlights both traditional and innovative approaches to the medium. This display will be in Luce Gallery.
Ashley Langfeldt
“A Life Unfolding” is an art quilt highlighting the monumental moments of what life might look like. The artist aims to represent life in all of its facets. In each of the nine blocks, color plays a significant role. Green symbolizes mental health awareness. Light blue represents calmness and reliability. The continent-imprinted fabric signifies the world waiting to be explored. The artist’s goal is to depict the joys, heartaches, goals, achievements, social expectations, and the mental and physical challenges of life. This quilt invites the audience to connect with real experiences past, present, and future. This display will be in Cole Library Gallery.
Sami Prokasky
"It's A Nice Knight (For A Party)" is a lighthearted digitally animated short film pilot following the perspective of the introverted Prince Morgan, his cheerful friend, Lance, and the mysterious traveler, Ava. See, tonight is Morgan's birthday, and he would rather be anywhere other than the birthday party he's forced to attend. So when Ava appears and suggests they ditch, he and Lance decide to follow along, hoping the night will change for the better. Prokasky's goal of this exhibition is to showcase the creative process of animation, the importance of worldbuilding, and the fun of storytelling. This display will be in Luce Gallery.
Josie Seibel
Seibel collaborated with computer science major Saad Mankarious to create a joint exhibition that will be on display in Cole Library. “The Trials of Venus” is a platform video game similar in structure and style to the classic 1984 Mario Bros Nintendo arcade game. The game takes place in a small rural town called Mount Vernon. The patron Roman gods and goddesses of each planet have descended upon Mount Vernon in the same order and scale as they appear in Earth’s surrounding sky. The hero of the game is a little ram named Soul who has fallen in love with a feisty feline called Eros. Originally designed to be an arcade game, the arcade box surrounding the computer screen is made out of plastic spider webs. Seibel, the plastic-spinning arachnid, collected her material for the arcade box from Zamora’s Market throughout the past school year. Why second-hand plastic? While found materials cost nothing but time to collect and process, Seibel is also passionate about redirecting usable materials away from landfills and giving them a second life as something both beautiful and useful. In fact, the storyline of the game follows the annual activities of the Environmental Club on campus in hopes of preserving a legacy of environmental education and promoting sustainable habits in the community of Linn County. As you will see on the images projected on the wall closest to the computers, Seibel derives all artistic inspiration from their surrounding environment and would like to acknowledge that none of this would be possible without them.
Emma Stevenson
Ever since Stevenson was a kid, her imagination has been both a gift and a source of fear. Monster spray was a nightly ritual, and limbs were tucked tightly under blankets. That childlike lens, where the line between fantasy and reality blurs, is something she’s never outgrown. Her work invites others to return to that mindset, to reconnect with the part of themselves that once believed there was something lurking in the dark. Taking cues from immersive worlds like the ones made by Meow Wolf, the artist encourages viewers to step inside, grab a flashlight, and begin exploring. What lies in the dark? Is it a projection of the mind trying to understand the unknown or is it real? This display will be in Luce Gallery.
Julia Walker
“But, What If…” is a multi-media show all about validating the artistic process of curiosity-driven play, as well as an open challenge of the traditional parameters of art. Through random acts of curiosity, occasional accidents, and countless hours of meticulously repeated labor, Walker’s art lets the natural characteristics of every medium she is using — ceramic clay, toothpicks, and Q-tips—to shine through, creating unexpected, shocking sculptures. Inspired by artists such as Tara Donovan and Andy Goldsworthy, Walker hopes to demonstrate the wonderful possibilities when time, effort, patience, and an openly inquisitive mind come together, and how powerful simple materials and processes can become. This display will be in Luce Gallery.
Hanna Walsh
Walsh is a ceramic artist whose work beautifully blends functionality with the enchanting essence of nature. Drawing inspiration from cherished memories spent gardening with her grandmother, Hanna creates diverse ceramic pieces that not only serve daily purposes but also celebrate the beauty of the natural world. Each design reflects an appreciation for sharpened geometric shapes and textures, inviting viewers to bring a touch of nature into their everyday lives. This display will be in Luce Gallery.
Visiting Hours
Luce Gallery is open Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–4 pm, and Sunday 2–4 p.m. Cole Library is open various hours throughout the week as posted on its website, and Hall-Perrine in the Thomas Commons is open to the public from 8:15 a.m. to 7 p.m. unless a prior event is scheduled in the space.