Art + Design Shows

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  Senior Show: Inverse

  Hanna Anderson, Nick Kopp, Emily Becker, and Hannah Harlow

  Inverse presents four senior artists, Nick Kopp, Hannah Harlow, Emily Becker and Hanna Anderson, in Winona, Minnesota, Spring 2021.

  Inverse seeks to grow the viewer's understanding of differing viewpoints through the presentation of difficult topics amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Featured artists discuss consumerism, environmental impact, perfectionism, marginalization of minority groups, and sexual assault. These heavy topics are discussed with respect and compassion during one of the most chaotic events of our generation.

  "The pandemic has given people more time at home, thinking, watching, working, learning, and growing; challenging us both as individuals and collectively as a society. We are connecting more about ideas than ever, and world events have sparked critical public discourse. It is important to find understanding of one another, empathize and see things from another perspective. Inverse seeks to add to the discussion and grow our understanding of different viewpoints. Senior I-Design students: Nick Kopp, Hannah Harlow, Emily Becker and Hanna Anderson, invite viewers to pause and think about things in a new light, look beyond the message at face value, and see the other side. Individual works explore the un-discussed or overlooked. Our experiences shape the way we perceive the world around us; it is easy to carry on through life without realizing how we as individuals are subject to preconceived notions and miss what is happening on the opposite side." - Inverse Artists' Statement

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  Reflection: Book Art Show 2024: Study Away Student Show

  Winona State University-Art & Design Department

  "Reflection is not just an art exhibition—it's an opportunity to delve into the rich tapestry of cultural exchange, personal growth, and creative expression."

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  Berlin: Shifting the Paradigm: Study Away Student Show

  Winona State University-Art & Design Department

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  Senior Show: Sonder

  Kylie Tschida, Gabi Klema, Ester Stoy, and Erik Anderson

  Sonder presents four senior artists: Kylie Tschida, Gabi Klema, Esther Stoy, and Erik Anderson, in Winona, Minnesota, Spring 2023.

  Sonder seeks to answer the question of what it means to be human through the idea of Sonder; the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own. Each artist explores a unique aspect of Sonder such as self-reflection, inner circles, self-actualization and reflection. This profound collection of work utilizes sculpture, installation and interactive elements to uniquely connect with the audience in a deep and meaningful way.

  "What does it mean to be human? We grow separately and form our own identities, create long-lasting friendships, and begin to recognize the complex lives of those around us. We choose how we react to the things that happen to us- compassion or anger- and we figure out how to be grateful towards those in our lives. Sonder makes us recognize the complexity of our life & the many lives around us. Come join us in relecting on the stages of Sonder!" -Artists' Statement

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  Senior Show: Cycle Path

  Yitong Wang, Ken Tham, and Xin He

  "Cycles are part of a contemporary societal struggle. They are the patterns and rhythms of our daily life. Cycles that were ingrained or present in us since we were born constitute parts of our personal identity and will shape who we are as people in the future. Cyclepath is the term we decided to use to describe people who are constantly repeating cycles passed down to them from either their interpersonal relations, predetermined culture or increasingly global society. Our first impression of cycles is that they are near impossible to break away from. How are we supposed to escape the cycles that are deeply rooted in our society and our psyche? Any attempts at divergence will invite prejudice and pressure from the collective. The process of forging your own path requires painstaking effort and the ability to withstand alienation and loneliness. With the speed that the world is progressing at, we spend most of our time adopting or trying to catch up with the constant changes in our interpersonal circles and society. In this process, we often don’t have the luxury to sit down and reflect introspectively on our identity and our relationship with the world around us. To follow the seemingly comfortable status quo and collectively supported cycles, is that the right path that we should commit to in this era? In order for us to self actualize, we have to analyze the cycles we are entrenched in and decide for ourselves whether our conscious self is sustaining any cycles that are harmful to either ourselves or our community. To continuously adapt and progress is in our DNA, so let us break these predetermined paths so that we cyclepaths can start to carve out our own path." - Artists' Statement

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  Senior Show: Introspection

  Annie Treichel, Makenna Meyers, Alicia Farrell, and Morgan Sumter

  "The past few years have been full of social distancing and an excess amount of alone time—leaving us to self-reflect on our lives and the challenges we face internally. Our group show, “Introspection”, demonstrates individual discoveries of our mindsets and how to embrace the journey toward self-worth, independence, confidence, and authenticity. We can be vulnerable with these challenges we face individually and how they relate to our society as a whole. Our topic isn’t about a period of growth that has come to an end or a discovery that has changed our state of being, but about embracing the journey through the highs and lows. We should focus on a certain lesson that the viewer can take away, while each of our own projects can be applied to the viewer's own life and experiences." - Artists' Statement

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  Senior Show: Morale[e]

  Emma Brezina, Abbey Kline, and Jack Baumert

  "The decision between right and wrong can be a unique, yet paralyzing truth to what one sees within the world around them. Our show, Moral[e], is a way for each of us to reconcile the truths around us and foster the good through each of our eyes. As a group, we decided that the most important element of our show was that there was an immersive experience for the audience that would leave them thinking about their own lives in perspective. Our desired outcome for the show is to inspire the viewer to take an introspective look into their role in society, and how they promote compassion in their own lives. The possibilities of morality play a prominent and diverse role in each of our lives that we wanted to highlight within our show. Our initial inspiration for this idea came from deep introspection into our own lives and how much life has drastically changed within the past few years. This is a theme that is pertinent to each of us and was immediately something we knew we wanted to move forward with. The inspiration behind our concept is our enthusiasm in providing a meaningful takeaway for the audience. In addition to this, the introduction to a discussion on “sonder” inspired us to move towards empathy and what that means to each of us. Sonder is essentially the realization that each random passerby has a life as complex as your own. The intention behind morality in someone’s life has undoubtedly been altered from the pandemic into the reality we live in today. All of us have agreed that the weight of our moral conscience has played an even greater role in our lives as we move towards the future. The discernment between right and wrong has become increasingly challenging, as tension and divisiveness rises in our country. Due to rising controversy, it is no surprise that we have begun to question our personal morals (should I visit with family and friends during a pandemic, do I prioritize my emotional health over my physical health?)." - Artists' Statement

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  Senior Show: Phoenix Rising

  May Hayes, Jordan Wuensch, Becca Braun, and Kennedy Pierre-Toussaint

  "Reflecting on the cycle of the Phoenix we are constantly challenged by the expectations of each of our lives as growing individuals. For our senior show we have each chosen to focus on one aspect of the phoenix life cycle: Survival & Work, Self-Worthiness & Self-Love, Healing Biases & Past Experiences, Relationships & Communities, Self-Actualization & Optimization and Transcendence & Rebirth. It is extremely powerful to remember each of our journeys, paths, and stories because they are unique and come from our individual experiences. When looking at the cycle of a Phoenix, it reminds us to define and embrace our paths, which is crucial to our personal growth. Exploring the processes in life will help us save time and effort to focus on doing the work that we truly want and need in life. The cycle of the phoenix allows us to grow and move forward while feeling embraced by our past. It welcomes change and allows us to evolve in moving towards becoming better individuals. From within the ashes of the cycle we rise into our full potential." - Artists' Statement

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  Senior Show: Luminous

  Katelyn Biernat, Bryanna Peterson, Elizabeth Pierce, Erika Olson, and Camden Ellingson

  "The theme of Luminous is to provide a beacon of shining light to illuminate the pervasive dark times of the previous year. While the tribulations of these past events should not be neglected, the focus of this exhibition is to illustrate how darkness serves as a canvas for the exuberance of light. Despite the resounding pain that we have all deeply felt, there have been many silver linings to contrast. Each installation showcases every designer’s personal story of how they found the light." - Artists'Statement

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  Senior Show: Viseral

  Nathan Birch, Michelle Truxal, and Ellen Klismith

  "2020 was a challenging year for everyone, full of deep, visceral emotions. In the wake of COVID-19, social unrest, natural disasters, and the worst economy we’ve seen since 2008, we have a lot of baggage to deal with. Everyone has their own ways of dealing with these types of emotions. The purpose of our show is to highlight a few of these challenges and create a space of expression, healing, and action. It’s Time by Ellen Klismith is a piece that brings forth self-evaluation for the viewer while reflecting on her actions regarding the many major events reported throughout the year. It encourages the audience to look into how their own physical or mental responses to these events may have affected themselves or the community around them. Stasis by Nathan Birch is about looking inward and discovering a personalized and healthy balance between social media and your real life. Finding this balance ensures that we all can continue to use these technologies in a sustainable and healthy way with no negative impacts on our mental health. The Cost of Ignorance by Michelle Truxal is a work about the loss of life suffered from COVID-19 using the mediums of tapestry weaving and data. This space is created to reflect upon what we have lost this year, support each other in our emotions of grief, and provide an active outlet to encourage healing our community. This collection of works also seeks to raise awareness for three local organizations: Take Action Minnesota, Ellie Family Services, and Bridges Health Because of the hardships we all experienced in the past year, we wanted to use this show as a way to start changing things for the better. We’ve included for each project a few ways to support causes relating to our projects. We also hope you strive to make small changes in your own life to create your own positive impact on the world today as well, we all have the power to make positive changes that will lead to large impacts!" - Artists' Statement

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  Senior Show: Chords

  Amy Nelson, Madeline Marcott, Natalie Anderson, Skylyn Vaith, and Victoria Cenn

  Chords is a reflection on how music and sounds have aided the artists to form and shape their current identities through the mediums of digital art and acrylic paint. In spring 2020 the Winona State University Art & Design Department Hosted its first online VR (Virtual Reality) exhibition. It was viewed as a way to come together and support students. There were two galleries of virtual art in 2020. The VR shows were designed and created by Art Teaching, I-Design and Studio Art Major students.

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  Senior Show: Sublime

  Cole Hintermeister, Isaiah Meurer, Jennifer Lovejoy, and Maria Anholzer

  Sublime is a meditation on the quest to achieve sublimity as artists define their journeys in search of this elusive goal through the mediums of photography and digital art. In spring 2020 the Winona State University Art & Design Department Hosted its first online VR (Virtual Reality) exhibition. It was viewed as a way to come together and support students. There were two galleries of virtual art in 2020. The VR shows were designed and created by Art Teaching, I-Design and Studio Art Major students.