PHILADELPHIA (March 26, 2008) - The Senior Exhibition, which features the thesis work of 14 young Saint Joseph's University artists, will be on display on the second floor of Mandeville Hall from April 4-25. A reception for the artists will be held Fri., April 4 from 5-9 p.m.
The exhibit is the artistic fruit of the yearlong senior capstone course taught by Ron Klein, M.F.A., associate professor of fine and performing arts. "I'm very proud of this class – the artists in this show truly represent the 
strengths of our department," said Klein. "They are painters, filmmakers, mosaic artists, students of vocal performance, a photographer, a mixed media artist, and a songwriter/musician. They have worked very hard to produce this professional level exhibit."
The students' influences run from fauvist painters to modern filmmaker Sofia Coppola and directorial photographer Gregory Crewdson to country music icon Willie Nelson. The class includes a pair of identical twins – a painter and a filmmaker; a surfer with an affinity for the ocean who introduced ceramics to inner city school children; a soprano with a love for Andrew Lloyd Webber's music heading for the bright lights of Broadway and a forward for the Saint Joseph's men's basketball team who discovered an impulse to paint.
"The seniors' work is so diverse, there is something for everyone to enjoy," said Jeanne Bracy, associate director of the University Gallery. "The commitment of our students and the fine and performing arts faculty is evident in this exciting end of year exhibit."
Their work ranges in scale from painterly brush strokes on a large canvas to small pieces of fired clay fit uniformly into a mosaic. One student spoke about her education at Saint Joseph's as a fertile time of growth.
"I have been painting since high school, which is when I realized I need to be an artist for the rest of my life," said Alana Allan, of Shavertown, Pa. "At SJU, I have learned a great deal about painting and about myself as an artist. My senior thesis exhibition shows how I have grown since my freshman year. I was able to place multiple figures into one composition, and I attempted to utilize deep perspective, which I have never done before."
All students participating in the exhibit are graduating seniors, and will receive a bachelor of art in fine and performing arts in May 2008.
The Saint Joseph's University Gallery is located in Boland Hall on Lapsley Lane, off of City Avenue between 54th Street & Cardinal Avenue in Lower Merion. Hours are Mon. through Fri., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mandeville Hall is located at 54th Street and City Avenue. For more information call 610-660-1840, or access www.sju.edu/gallery.
Background: Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University advances the professional and personal ambitions of men and women by providing a demanding, yet supportive, educational experience. One of only 139 schools with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's is home to 4,200 full-time undergraduates and 3,100 graduate, part-time and doctoral students. Steeped in the 450-year Jesuit tradition of scholarship and service, Saint Joseph's was recently named to the 2007 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for General Community Service. The University strives to be recognized as the preeminent Catholic comprehensive university in the Northeast.
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Contact: Patricia Allen, Associate Director of University Communications, 610-660-3240, patricia.allen@sju.edu
Samples
Violet Stare, 8' x 10', acrylic on canvas by Alana Allan, Shavertown, Pa.
Ladder Mosaic, 7' x 4', by Kaitlyn McCormick, Brick, N.J.
Window, 7" by 11" print, by Michael Kerrigan, Franklin Lakes, N.J.
A still from the short film A Little Streak of Red, by Nicole Allan, Shavertown, Pa.
