Works by graduating Wright State fine arts students featured in Senior Thesis Exhibition

The Senior Thesis Exhibition, featuring works created by 17 graduating students during their time at Wright State, is on display in the Stein Galleries through April 21.

Graduating fine arts students are celebrating the conclusion of their education at Wright State University with the annual Senior Thesis Exhibition in the Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries.

The exhibition is the culminating event of Wright State’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program, a graduation requirement for all fine arts majors, and traditionally is the final show of each academic year in the Stein Galleries.

The Senior Thesis Exhibition is on display now through April 21. The Stein Galleries will host a closing reception for the students on Friday, April 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. All gallery events are free and open to the public.

Works created by 17 students during their time at Wright State are featured in the Senior Thesis Exhibition. Artwork from all areas taught in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program — painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture — are showcased.

Each student submitted 10 works that were reviewed and selected for exhibition by faculty members in each of the program’s disciplines. This year’s exhibition is curated by Benjamin Montague, associate professor in photography, and Kim Vito, professor of art and co-head of printmaking.

Shannon Gallion, whose concentration is sculpture, said it is exciting to see her work exhibited in the Stein Galleries, where she works as a gallery monitor. In this role, Gallion greets and orients patrons and has helped install exhibitions, including previous Senior Thesis Exhibitions.

“So it was a bit surreal installing my own work in the space,” Gallion said. “It’s been very gratifying, and I’ve been so grateful for the feedback I’ve received from our fine arts faculty.”

Gallion has eight works in the exhibition, including sculptural pieces made from found objects, ceramic and plaster. She also has photographs, a lithograph, an oil painting and a graphite drawing in the exhibition.

Because she began pursuing a second degree in English partway through her B.F.A. studies, Gallion was able to explore other fine art concentrations taught by the School of Fine and Performing Arts and create artwork in a variety of mediums.

Rachel Unger, whose concentration is printmaking, has six pieces in the exhibition, including a silkscreen print, two intaglio prints, a relief block print, a clay terra cotta sculpture and a graphite drawing.

“I feel very privileged to be able to exhibit my work in such a beautiful space, as many students my age do not have a gallery in such proximity to their school,” she said.

Unger’s silkscreen monotype, “Fever Dream,” is part of the same series as a print selected for the ArtsGala silent auction. She created the print layer by layer, an approach she described as “meditative and more enjoyable.”

“The title came from what I believe the image resembled, with each layer telling its own story through form and space but still not in true clarity,” she said.

Unger’s terra cotta sculpture, “Moses,” inspired one of her intaglio prints, “Moses I.” She created the sculpture in a Figure Sculpture course and was so happy with the final product that she decided to use the sculpture as the subject of her intaglio printmaking project.

“It was exciting to explore the same subject using a variety of mediums,” Unger said.

Located in the Creative Arts Center, the Stein Galleries is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 4 p.m.; and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this semester.

For more information, contact the Stein Galleries at 937-775-2973 or artgalleries@wright.edu or visit wright.edu/artgalleries.