This Friday, March 23rd, all are invited to attend the opening reception of “Not Rated”, the 2018 senior art exhibition at the Hand Art Center. The reception will begin at 6:00 pm. Artwork from six graduating Creative Arts students will be featured, including:

• Ariana Santana
• Thanya Guevera (shop)
• Eva Trimarchi
• Jenna Bolusky
• Sami Hartman
• Chris Kelly

The exhibition officially opens to the public on Monday, March 19th and will run through April 7th.

Statements from the Artists

What can you expect to see? A few of the seniors provided descriptions of their work and explained what they hoped visitors to the HAC would gain from the exhibition.

For Ariana Santana, the artwork exhibited reflects her “personal relationship and interactions with nature throughout [her] life”. Ariana hopes that viewers of her art will be inspired to reflect on their own experiences with nature. It’s all wrapped up in “the everlasting bond that exists between humanity and all forms of nature”.

Behind Jenna Bolusky’s artwork is a bit of scientific research: “holding eye contact with someone for only two minutes creates feelings of trust and affection between two people”. Jenna explains that viewers can have this same “intimacy” by looking into the eyes of the subjects of her art. By drawing people important to her life, Jenna shares her own experience of gazing into their eyes.

Inspired by very real animals native to the “Mexican state of Yucatán and the Amazon,” Thanya Guevara creates fictional creatures in her artwork. These creatures bear “elements of fantasy or science fiction”. Her work invites viewers to step away from their reality. As she put it, “I want the tone and presence of my made-up creatures to, ironically, exist and leave people enchanted and mystified, even just for a moment”.

Sami Hartman interviewed young women to hear their thoughts on “finding vitally through vulnerability”. Her artwork expresses the experiences of these women: their strength, growth, and confidence. She hopes that visitors to the exhibition will walk away considering “what role they play in the socialization and development of women”.