The University of Illinois Springfield will showcase the work of its senior visual arts majors in an upcoming exhibition.
The exhibit, titled “Up to Eleven,” will run April 20 through May 7, according to a community announcement. A reception will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. April 23. All gallery events are free and open to the public.
The exhibition will be held in two locations on campus: the UIS Visual Arts Gallery in the Health & Sciences Building and the Access Gallery in the Visual & Performing Arts Building.
‘A burst of freedom’
“Up to Eleven” will feature a variety of multimedia works, including sculpture, graphic design, commercial design, animation, illustration, painting, installation and ceramics. The exhibition highlights the largest graduating class from the Visual Arts program in recent years, reflecting a dynamic and diverse group of artists.
The exhibition emphasizes ambition and collaboration, with the artists pushing creative boundaries and exploring what is possible when working together.
“It’s always fun to push things to the limits but it’s even more fun to do things in quality company,” Edith Raskin, one of the exhibiting artists, said in the announcement.
The exhibition will offer a multi-sensory, immersive and, at times, interactive experience. The artists embrace a wide variety of approaches, demonstrating a high level of interdisciplinary practice. Their work explores personal narratives, heritage and identity, as well as referencing art history, engaging with nostalgia and examining popular culture.
For many of the participating artists, this exhibition represents both a final milestone and a beginning.
“It’s an exciting time for us. We are about to enter the world as artists, and we get to mark the culmination of our time here at UIS with this group exhibition that we are very proud of,” visual arts student Tiama Elfgen said in the announcement. “This show is a burst of freedom — a last huzzah and a first step into the professional realm. It’s not an ending but a beginning.”
Long hours culminate in exhibition
The featured artists are Honoka Adachi, Gavin Bayne, Kat Brinkman, Luke Butcher, Kristyn Durbin, Tiama Elfgen, Cooper D. Marx, Cheyenne Meneghetti, Lilith Nadine, Edith Raskin and John A. Toelle.
“Up to Eleven” is a testament to years of dedication, experimentation and growth, offering a powerful and satisfying pinnacle of the student experience while signaling the start of new artistic journeys, according to the announcement.
For more information and upcoming exhibitions, visit the UIS Visual Arts Gallery website at uis.edu/visual-arts/visual-arts-gallery.
This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: UIS senior visual arts exhibition ‘Up to Eleven’ opens April 20
