2018 AU Art + Design Senior Exhibition

Coming up on April 12th- Ashland University Art +Design Senior Exhibition. Each spring, the Ashland University Coburn Gallery hosts the Senior Art Exhibition that features the capstone experience for graduating art majors.

Bringing together artwork made by graduating seniors in the Department of Art + Design, the 2018 Senior Art Exhibition will open on Thursday, April 12, with an opening reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Coburn Art Gallery located in the Center for the Arts on the Ashland University campus. The senior art awards will be announced at 5:30 p.m. at the April 12 reception.

“While the 2018 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.”

This year’s exhibitions will run from April 12 through May 5 and includes projects in graphic design, digital art, painting, ceramics and printmaking by AU seniors Rachael Santee, Keeleigh Myers, Alex Roddy, Rebekah Hale, Christy Witte and Deveraux Diaz.

Rachael Santee of Columbus, Ohio, will be graduating from Ashland University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts concentrating in Printmaking and Painting, with a minor in Art History. Santee is the oldest child of Robert and Rita Santee, also of Columbus. During her time at Ashland University, Santee has had work accepted to the Juried Student Art Exhibition during each of the four years of her attendance. She was awarded the Drawing Award her freshman year, the Printmaking and Bernini Awards her junior year, and received the Best In Show Award her senior year. After graduation, Santee plans to work toward expanding her art portfolio for graduate school in order to teach art at the college level. She also plans on one day running her own gallery and making art for the rest of her life.

Alex Roddy of Mount Liberty, Ohio, will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Commercial Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design. She is the eldest daughter of Andrea and Matthew Roddy. During her attendance at Ashland, she has participated in the Art Club, interned at Bookmasters, exhibited in the Juried Student Art Exhibition, and was awarded the Alumni "Wink" Award in both 2017 and 2018. Roddy plans to stay in the central Ohio area and work toward a career in graphic design and illustration.

Keeleigh Myers, originally from Sandusky, Ohio, will be graduating from Ashland University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Concentrative Major in Painting, Concentrative Minor in Printmaking, and minors in Art History and Marketing. Myers is the youngest daughter of Tana and Phillip Myers of Sandusky. During her collegiate years in Ashland, Myers was given the opportunity to work in The Coburn Gallery as a gallery assistant as well as tutor of Art History to fellow students through Ashland University’s Library tutoring services. Furthermore, Myers participated and held several executive positions such as Academic Excellence Chair in the Delta Delta Chapter of Theta Phi Alpha Sorority, Vice President of Ashland University’s Women’s Chorus, and Public Relations chair of Ashland University’s Art Club. Myers has exhibited various artworks in the Juried Student Art shows, the most recent exhibition titled “Dear Dr. Seuss” at The Coburn Gallery and her most recent works at URCA (Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity). She was awarded the Painting Award in the 2017 Juried Student Art Show for her encaustic paintings and the Printmaking Award 2018 Juried Student Art Show for her prints. Myers plans on furthering her education in graduate school to pursue her passions of art and inspiring others.

Devereaux Diaz lives in North Canton, Ohio, and will graduate with a Bachelor of Science with a Commercial Art major. She is a graduate of GlenOak High School. At Ashland University, she is a member of the Art Club and the Anime Club. Diaz has had the opportunity to study at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh for a year, where her focus was in media art. She has served as a graphic design intern at Champion Pump where she assisted in marketing design. After graduation, Diaz plans to pursue a career in Graphic Design and Illustration starting in Columbus Ohio, gaining enough experience and skill to branch out independently.

Christy Witte of Fairlawn, Ohio, will graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a minor in Marketing. She is the daughter of Brian and Sheri Witte. At her time at Ashland, she was a member of the Anime Club. During the summer before her senior year, she was an intern at the Paper Mill Studios in Akron, Ohio, where she assisted the owner of the company in designing various invitations and cards. After graduation, Witte hopes to secure a career as a designer or as an advertising marketer in Ohio, but is willing to work wherever she is needed to expand her knowledge in the art or marketing field.

Rebekah Hale, daughter of Daniel and the late Tamara Hale, has lived in Ashland, Ohio, her whole life. She will be graduating in December of 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art Education while concentrating in ceramics. During her time at Ashland University, she has been involved in Art Club and received The Art Club Award with several other students in the 2017 student juried art exhibition. She intends to stay in Ohio to teach where she can inspire children to create art that can help them discover and embrace their own creativity and Hale believes that art is something that can change the world.