On Saturday, April 14, the Ortlip Gallery will open an annual tradition and its final show of the semester: the 2018 Senior Exhibition. At the end of every spring semester, senior art students have a chance to prepare work and hang it in the gallery as the culmination of their time in the Houghton College Art Department. The reception for the opening of the gallery will be from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the 14.
Rebecca Firstbrook ‘18 is both an art and intercultural studies major. Speaking about getting her work ready for the show, she said, “This semester has been challenging to balance senior art work along with my other senior capstone. I always wish I could devote more time to the other.”
Firstbrook is showing an installation with papermaking. “It was a really relaxing process and I wanted to explore it more after the class was over,” she said. “I spent several hours just beating and pulling paper, along with a lot of digging through old photos for inspiration. I got to rediscover how relaxing it is to assemble something with my hands.”
Firstbrook had no any prior experience with installations before and felt out of her comfort zone. She commented, “There are so many other factors to consider beyond craft of the actual piece—trying to get the thing to stay up, presentation, and how the view can experience the piece.” However, Firstbrook also acknowledged that being pushed out of her comfort zone seems to positively reflect her time at Houghton. Firstbrook hopes that people enjoy the show, calling it “a privileged glimpse into the hard work and thought all the senior students have gone through this year.” She feels honored to show alongside a very talented class.
Christopher Cilento ‘18 turns his struggle with PTSD into art. “My process involves delving into the darkest regions of my memories, pulling them out and examining them. Then I turn them into works of art. This way, art becomes a catharsis, a meditative experience that helps me cope with my daily struggles in a positive way,” he said.
Cilento also mentioned that being a senior is surreal. He began his journey at Houghton in 1991 as a freshman, but at the time, supressed his artistic side in favor of practicality. After coming back to finish his degree, this time as an art major, Cilento said, “I have experienced more happiness than ever before. Art is my world. It helps keep me alive.”
On the topic of the senior show, Cilento acknowledged the amount of work he put into his exhibition. “Not only in the time spent, but in the emotional trauma each piece causes,” he shared. “This is not a bad thing, and is part of the healing process, but it is incredibly taxing.” Cilento’s work in the senior show centers around his personal battle with PTSD, suicide, and journey toward healing, including a mask sculpture and drop painting. He added that seeing his pieces complete and how far he has come is why he makes art.
Alicia Taylor-Austin, professor of art, shared some details about the process that leads up to the show. “The capstone class for students in the art program at Houghton is a senior seminar course that supports and facilitates the development of a body of work focused around a thesis for exhibition,” she said. “Seniors are also required to complete a thesis paper and include formal documentation through images and artist statements. Typically, students submit proposals for their body of work at the end of the fall semester of their senior year and receive feedback on the work they create leading up to that point from the art faculty in the form of a senior review that takes place in December.” This year, 11 students received approval to display their work in the show.
Everyone is invited to the opening reception to see all of the featured seniors in the show. Come to support the class of 2018, enjoy light refreshments, and marvel at the works of art in the gallery.