Senior Capstone Art Exhibition opens at Room 912
Richmond, Ind. – The Senior Capstone Art Exhibition, which includes works by nine Indiana University East seniors, will be on display in the Room 912 Gallery, located at 912 E. Main Street in Richmond.  An opening reception is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. May 2 at Room 912.

The exhibition is on display May 2-May 30. It is free and open to the public.

IU East’s Fine Arts Program requires students to complete a Senior Capstone Project to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts.  Each student must create an original body of work in their area of concentration during their senior year and display their creations in a final exhibition.

Students exhibiting their artwork include Joe Clapp from Eaton, Ohio; Arianna Cook from Cambridge City, Ind.; Jami Dingess from Lynn, Ind.; Kaylyn Flora from Eldorado, Ohio; Kelsey Rubright from Cambellstown, Ohio; and Melissa Whicker, Christin Hampton, Kaly Reichter, and Brittany Williams, all from Richmond, Ind.

Williams said she never thought that she would be in a position where she could make her thoughts and opinions about the world visible to the people around her. She added that the Capstone project has opened her eyes to the limitless materials and subjects that the art world encompasses.

“My view on what art is and what it can be has totally changed. When I first started my capstone I had such a closed mind as to what would be considered art and this really hindered my artistic ability for the body of work I was creating,” Williams said. “I have learned through my capstone process that art is what you make it, and when you create art it is bound to go through changes and evolutions. As an artist it is the changes and evolutions that I have come to cherish because they have made me a better artist. Before capstone, I never referred to myself as an artist, but capstone is definitely letting me accept the title. I have a long way to go but I am ready for the ride.”

Room 912 gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 1-4 p.m. Saturday.

Student Showcase in Meijer Artway
Indiana University East and Purdue University College of Technology in Richmond students now have their work on display in the Meijer Artway through Friday, May 2. Students exhibiting work were in fine arts classes at IU East during the fall 2013 and spring 2014 semesters.

Instructors selected pieces for monetary awards during the artists’ reception March 26. Stagg Safety of Richmond sponsored the awards.

Two-Dimensional Art
First Place – Niko Natali, Somerville, Ohio
Second Place – Kelsey Rubright, Campbellstown, Ohio
Third Place – Patrick O’Neal, Richmond, Ind.
Honorable Mentions –Patrick Allred, Modoc, Ind.; Sheyenne Adams, Winchester, Ind.; and Davis Himes, Connersville, Ind.

Three-Dimensional Art
First Place – Richard Spence, Eaton, Ohio, and Megan Templeton, Richmond, Ind.
Second Place – Amber Brown, Oxford, Ohio
Third Place – Sarah Miller, Connersville, Ind.
Honorable Mention – Arianna Cook, Richmond, Ind.

For more information, call Ed Thornburg, gallery curator, at (765) 973-8605 or visit iue.edu/gallery.

Students release journal of creative works, writing
The Tributaries Release Party was held May 1 at the Whitewater Art Gallery in Whitewater Hall. Students read selections from their published works and gave away copies of the books to attendants. Tributaries is the annual student-produced journal of creative works, featuring fiction, nonfiction, poetry and visual art by IU East students.

Senior History Capstone Project displays museum’s historic objects
The Senior History Capstone Project is now on display on the second floor of Tom Raper Hall. The students have worked throughout the spring semester on a series of projects at the Wayne County Historical Museum and some of the museum’s objects are on display. The grand opening was held April 29.

Jim Harlan, executive director of the Wayne County Historical Museum, has worked with students on the project including loaning the items to display at IU East. Students completed lesson plans using objects from the museum collection. The plans will soon be available on the museum’s website as a resource for teachers to use.

Additionally, students printed photographic plates from the Palladium-Item. The museum has several thousand photographic plates from Richmond’s newspaper and IU East students have been making prints of these in order for the museum to document what the image shows and to catalog the information. This will eventually lead to a museum project to publish a book on historic photographs of the Richmond area.

Students perform during Music Recitals
IU East students performed in several music concerts this week in Vivian Auditorium, located in Whitewater Hall. The IU East Chorale and Jazz Band concert, directed by Robert Williams, was held April 28.

The Student Recital on April 29 featured 17 student musicians. It included the final IU East performances of pianist Joshua Mathews, of Richmond, Ind., and guitarist Gideon Adkins, of Union City, Ohio, and a new piano composition by pianist Tyler Johnson of Fountain City, Ind.

The Junior/Senior Capstone Recital, featuring pianist Rachel Phenis of Lynn, Ind., and soprano Hannah Clawson of Hagerstown, Ind., took place on April 30. Their performance included works by Beethoven, Debussy, Wolf, Faure and Granados. Phenis is a student of Christine Rogan, and Clawson is a student of Lynnell Lewis.