Senior Salon 2007

-- Rebecca Haven

Nine Metropolitan State University students’ artwork and writing is included in Senior Salon 2007, currently being presented in the Third Floor Gallery on the St. Paul Campus.

The Senior Salon offers a chance for Metropolitan State students to showcase the hard work they’ve done in conjunction with senior coursework, as well as to allow the art department to highlight outstanding pieces. Each of the student’s work offers distinct styling through word, sculpture, paint and mixed media.

Susan Shanklin’s bold sculptures highlight the corners of the gallery, with strong statements about DNA splicing in "to.ma.to," and deep confusion in "Vessel of Doubt." She also shows her talent with clay in "Life After His Death."

Tanya Trombley shows significant range with a black and white acrylic painting "Mexico," and a mixed media piece, "36"A," which she uses to voice her disdain at the socially acceptable and unacceptable breast size.

Sam Aon P. Theth uses a similar theme of dancers and dolls in her work, beginning with "Dancers," a mixed media piece. Theth’s most notable piece is "Childhood in Transition," a mounted mixed media piece that includes doll parts and pages from an emotional development text.

Amy Roth proclaims her love of music in "My Muse", an embroidered and detailed hat. Roth also uses the acrylic painting "Untitled" to show her range by painting a fish in the depths of the sea.

Tricia Erickson shows several beautifully glazed tiles in "Up North Tiles," as well as in the two works "Unraveling" (black and orange) and "Unraveling 2" (white and orange) done in linoleum. Erickson’s "Unraveling" is featured on the gallery’s publication postcard.

Several writers are highlighted in the showcase as well. Ellen Rice portrays a running theme of hope in her short stories Leaving Time and The Beauty of Aloneness, and in her poem "Trail of Years."

Matthew Spillum shows the art of crafting words through three poems, "Dance Lesson," "Let the Northwind Be The Northwind" and "In Sao Salvador." Sharon Staum shows her talent in "Innocent for Alexs Pate," a four-part poem. Susan Stenfors creates a strong scene through her words in "Pearl Harbor’s Heart Beat."

Several of the pieces of artwork are for sale. A listing is available in the gallery or by Gallery Director Erica Rasmussen, at (651) 793-1631 or via email at Erica.Rasmussen@metrostate.edu.

Senior Salon 2007 will be shown through April 6.