Self portraits of Art department Students – Photo by Joel Grimsley
Article by Joel Grimsley, Arts Editor
Students, faculty and the public gathered at the Arts Music Center on Wed. Feb. 19 to attend the annual Student Art Show’s reception as the AMC Gallery hosts student artwork for the coming 4 weeks.
The show displays art of all media, allowing art students to show off their work no matter what medium they used. The pieces on display range from traditional oil paintings, clay sculptures, graphite sketches, ink illustrations, acrylic paintings, etching, linocut and monotype prints .
2025 Student Show invitation – Illustration by Kiera Troost
The gallery will display the students’ pieces from Feb. 19 to Friday March 21 and nearly 50 artworks made from 15 different students.
This annual tradition of a Student Art Show dates back to the 80’s, making it a well established annual routine for the Art Department.
For students to be featured, they submit work to a jury that consists of Art Department staff who then select the pieces.
This annual event gives students the opportunity to experience the entire process of creating and then displaying art, giving them a sense of pride and professionalism.
“It makes me feel really good, in a way that is validating,” said senior Sarah Evon, who painted a series consisting of four lily pad oil paintings that were featured. “It is good to see people connecting with it and that they enjoy it.”
The event also gives a formal opportunity for students to show friends and family their work. Senior Abby Kozal’s Grandparents, who came to see her work in the show, commented how proud they were of their granddaughter.
Students were aided in the curation process of the exhibition by Associate Professor Chris Laporte and the Gallery Director, Professor Dana Freeman.
“I think it really benefits students to go through the process from start to finish,” said Freeman. “Part of art is deciding when to stop and finish to then start preparing it for the show.”
The experience of displaying artwork will greatly benefit students who are considering pursuing a career in fine arts. “It’s kind of an art project in itself,” said Freeman. “If you think of an installation and how things are going to work together, there’s a million ways that you could do it, but you have to see the connections and where pieces should be placed in the show and how can all of it flow together.”
Students Browsing the Art Gallery – Photo by Joel Grimsley
The student art show offers a great experience for both viewers and artists. “It’s really great to see each other’s work, because you’re able to come and see how great our students are,” Freeman said. “You can come see how talented and diverse the students at Aquinas college are.”
The Saint 