Save As: Senior_Project

The UTRGV School of Art and Design recently hosted the senior bachelor of fine arts design exhibition, “Untitled.PNG,” as part of requirements for graduating students in the UTRGV Visual Arts Building in Edinburg.

The works were on display from Nov. 20 to 27. 

Josefina Stoleson, a part-time lecturer in the School of Art and Design, advised the students during the process of creating and bringing the exhibit to life.

The senior capstone is an exhibit that showcases students’ creativity under a shared theme and is driven by students who organize, prepare and participate in it.

“Other people are in charge of the food, so they have several different jobs as a group that they do in order to put the entire exhibit as a whole,” Stoleson said. “Every single student has their own vision, and that’s a beauty about art. It’s subjective, so it’s not like the cookie-cutter type of thing.”

She said the experience is beneficial for the participants because the cohesiveness of working with different mediums, dealing with the business side and talking to people resembles what it is like “in a real scenario.”

“So that when they do go in and land those jobs, it doesn’t take them by surprise that all of a sudden they have to budget to put on an exhibit or help someone budget something so that they can produce a project,” Stoleson said.

Aliyah Cantu, a visual communication design senior, showcased her project at the exhibit, which focused on healthy dog treats, “Chico’s Yum Yums,” inspired by her dog.

“It’s anything [participants] wanted to do,” Cantu said. “They had their own right to create whatever they wanted.”

Taking a whole semester to complete, the senior capstone is a creative process in which students create their own brand and marketing for their project, from developing concept art, mood boards, color palettes and fonts.

“We worked so hard,” Cantu said. “Well, for me, it was really stressful having to create this company. I wanted it to be perfect, nice and neat. I hope everyone gets the chance to come by and check it out.”

Alexis Calderon, a visual communication design senior, took part in last semester’s exhibit, titled “Con Estas Manos,” which centered on the artists creating with their hands.

Calderon said the senior capstone is an exhibit that helps graphic design students get a sense of what it is like to be part of an exhibit as an art student. 

“For us, we’re graphic designers,” he said. “We don’t really put ourselves into exhibits, but it gives us a good sense of how it’s going to be if you do want to go [that route]. … It helps you explain your art, because no other class lets you talk about it in front of people.”

Not only does the exhibit prepare visual communication students to display their artwork through speech and presentation, but it also teaches time management and work ethic.

“It helps me get a sense of how I should work and how fast I should work,” Calderon said. “But it also helps explain pretty well how to talk about my art pieces.”