Ashland University’s Coburn Gallery will be hosting two exhibitions -- the 2017 AU Senior Art Exhibition as well as a ceramic works exhibition by Cleveland artists Stephanie Craig and Todd Leech -- from Nov. 30 to Dec. 17, 2017.
The Senior Art Exhibition includes graduating art majors Danielle Smith and Anamarie Coors and highlights graphic design, digital art, web design and animation. An opening reception is planned for Thursday, Nov. 30, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.
“While the 2017 Senior Art Exhibition provides the capstone experience for graduating art majors, it represents more than just students’ studio art experiences,” said Cynthia Petry, director of the Coburn Gallery. “For these students of the liberal arts, the exhibition is the culmination of their undergraduate careers at Ashland University.”
Smith, from Warren, Pa, will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Commercial Art-Graphic Design with a minor in Entrepreneurship. Smith is the eldest daughter of Kerwin and Loraine Smith of Warren, Pa., and she is a graduate of Warren Area High School.
Smith’s work has been exhibited in the Juried Student Art Exhibition numerous times and was awarded the Alumni “Wink” Award and the Dean’s Award. Smith also was awarded sophomore and junior Academic Honors on behalf of the Art Department. Serving as the Art Club president during the 2016-2017 school year, Smith has been an active member of the art community on campus. Smith also was involved in religious life during her time at Ashland and served as a Well student leader. During her junior year, Smith served as the graphic design intern at Bookmasters located in Ashland, Ohio, where she assisted in catalogue design. Following this experience, Smith completed two additional web design internships. Smith plans to secure a graphic design position in the Cleveland area after graduation.
Coors hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, and she will graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Digital Art. Coors is the daughter of Christopher and Teresa Coors and she attended Boone County High School in Florence, Ky., where she received her scholarship to Ashland University.
She has been involved in many organizations on campus, including Art Club, Knitting Club, Women’s Chorus and the CAS Undergraduate Research and Creative Symposium in 2017. Coors also has exhibited in student juried art shows while at Ashland University. Coors future plans include obtaining internships with companies such as Disney and Pixar to expand her skills as an animator and story board artist.
The ceramics exhibition includes Craig’s abstracted tower structures that are part of a sculpture series which are fueled by her memories of persons and place. Leech’s platters are an exploration of surface and texture while utilizing both hand building and wheel throwing techniques in the construction. The glazing process is a critical stage in his work, as Craig is interested in the textural qualities of shino glazes and non-traditional glaze surfaces.
Both Craig and Leech received their MFA in ceramics from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Presently, Craig divides her time between teaching Ceramics and 3D Foundations at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio, and pursuing a professional studio art practice. Leech is a full-time studio artist, managing the operations of a fully equipped ceramics studio in Cleveland, Ohio.
For more about the exhibition or events at the Coburn Gallery, visit www.ashland.edu/coburngallery or find us on Facebook. The Coburn Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 12 noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
