Senior Pre-Art Therapy and Art Education Majors Host Senior Show Starting Friday, March 1

Taylor seniors from the Pre-Art Therapy and Art Education majors will be hosting an opening reception for their senior show in the Metcalf Gallery of Taylor’s Modelle Metcalf Visual Art Center on Friday, March 1.

The reception, which runs from 6–8 pm, will showcase the four seniors’ best work over their college careers. The show will run from March 1-14 and is open to the public. All Taylor students, employees, and friends are invited to attend the opening reception.

Ryan James, Assistant Professor of Art, is looking forward to the opening because he is not well-acquainted with the work of Pre-Art Therapy and Art Education majors.

“Much of the work they produce is new to me, I’m often seeing it for the first time the night of the opening,” he said. “It’s always great to see the work produced by students on this campus, especially students with whom I don’t have much interaction.”

Overseen by Department Co-Chair and Assistant Professor of Art Kathy Herrmann, the Pre-Art Therapy and Art Education students are the only Art majors that don’t take an official course to prepare for their show. However, the four seniors—Janie Ellingsen, McKenna Gartzke, Abbey Niemi, and Hannah Tolentino—have been putting in hard work to make the show a success.

The group created marketing materials and postcards for the show once they established its theme, Vigeo. Vigeo a verb that means four things: 1) To thrive, bloom, flourish; 2) Be strong/vigorous, be active, be effective; 3) Be in honor, esteem or repute, prosper; and 4) To live.

As a double major in Psychology and Pre-Art Therapy, Tolentino is showcasing two watercolor pieces, two micron pieces, and five ceramic pieces.

Tolentino became interested in art therapy after giving a speech on its benefits during her Interpersonal Communication course. After learning Taylor was adding the major to the Art department, she decided pick up the major to complement her Psychology degree. “I love how art can be a therapeutic outlet, and I see a lot of healing through it,” she said.

The Pre-Art Therapy program at Taylor was established in 2016 and continues to gain interest as the newest major in the Art program. Art Education is a popular, strong, and long-standing liberal arts program at Taylor.

For additional information about the senior show, contact the Art Office at 765-998-5322 or visualarts@taylor.edu.

The Metcalf Gallery hours are 8 am–5 pm, Monday–Friday.