The annual Senior Art + Design Exhibition at Ashland University will open with a reception on Thursday, March 31, from 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. at the Coburn Art Gallery, located in the Center for the Arts. This year’s exhibition, featuring graphic design, illustration, digital art, painting and ceramics by graduating art majors, will run through Tuesday, April 12.
“While the 2022 Senior Art and Design Exhibition provides the capstone experience for graduating art and design 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 senior artists include James Feliciano, Hannah Hill, Hope Miracle, Destini Oler, Erica Talion and Kelly Williamson.
Feliciano, from Wellington, Ohio, will graduate with a Bachelor’s of Education degree with a focus on art education in May. During his time at Ashland, he has been a member of the art club and the Alpha Lambda Delta honor society. He has exhibited in the Juried Student Art Exhibition numerous times. As a senior, Feliciano has served as an intern at South Central Local Schools and the Hillsdale Local School District. He plans to secure a teaching position in northeast Ohio and to do freelance work.
Hill is set to graduate with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts degree with a concentration in graphic design along with a minor in marketing. She grew up in Warren, Ohio, and now lives in Lyndhurst, Ohio. At Ashland, she has worked with the residence life office designing posters and as a dispatcher at the safety services office. She also will be presenting at the Undergraduate Research and Creative Arts Symposium and participated in the Juried Student Art Exhibition earlier this year. Over the 2021 summer season, she worked as an intern running the social media accounts for Wedzee, an online wedding shop.
Miracle, from Galion, Ohio, will graduate with a Bachelor’s in Commercial Art degree with a concentration in graphic design as well as a minor in digital media production. During her time at Ashland, Miracle has worked on multiple graphics for the department of journalism and digital media, was the marketing intern for the Recreation Center for two years and went to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She was also a member of the track & field team as a pole vaulter for all four years. Upon graduation, she hopes to find a job with a company or agency in Ohio where she can continue designing and creating.
Oler will graduate with a Bachelor’s in Art Education degree with a concentration in ceramics. A native of Sycamore, Ohio, she has been a member of the art club and has exhibited in the Juried Student Art Exhibition numerous times while at Ashland. Oler has been a student teacher at Wynford High School and Bucyrus Secondary School and also coached volleyball and track. Upon graduation, she hopes to find an art education and coaching job near her hometown.
Talion, from Parma, Ohio, is on track to graduate with a Bachelor’s of Commercial Art degree with a concentration in graphic design, along with minors in fashion merchandising and religion. Her graphic design career began at age 13 when she began working for her family’s screen printing shop, “Adcraft Decals, Inc.” At Ashland, Talion has been involved in many organizations such as Alpha Delta Pi sorority, Catholic Campus Ministry, Gets Involved with Volunteer Service and art club. She also served as a graphic design intern for Family and Community Services, Inc., in Ravenna, Ohio, and has worked as a line cook at the Eagle’s Nest.
Williamson, of Vermilion, Ohio, will graduate with a Bachelor’s in Art Education degree with a concentration in painting, as well as a minor in art history. At Ashland, she has served on the executive board of the art club. Williamson served her student teaching in Huron City Schools, working with the teacher of the elementary and intermediate schools, as well as in Vermilion Local Schools, working with both high school art teachers. She has exhibited many works in the Coburn Art Gallery’s student shows and has been on the Dean’s List all semesters but one. Upon graduation, Williamson intends to work in a museum within Ohio and continue working on her artwork in her own time.
The Coburn Gallery is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and noon-4 p.m. on weekends. For more information about the exhibition, call 419-289-5652 or visit the gallery’s Facebook page.
