Waters' work featured in AU Senior Art + Design Exhibition

02/01/2021 ASHLAND, Ohio -- In February, the Ashland University Coburn Gallery hosts the Senior Art + Design Exhibition that features the capstone experience for graduating art majors.

Showcasing the work of graduating senior Barbie Waters, the 2021 Senior Art + Design Exhibition will open on Friday, Feb. 12 and run until Feb. 21.

“While the 2021 Senior Art Exhibition provides the capstone experience for graduating art majors, it represents more than just students’ studio art experiences,” said Cynthia Petry, director of the Coburn Gallery. “For the student in the liberal arts, the exhibition is the culmination of their undergraduate career at Ashland University.”

Waters, originally from El Paso, Texas, is a December 2020 graduate with a Bachelor of Art in Fine Art (Painting Concentration) with a minor in Psychology.  Waters graduated with Honors in 2014 from North Central State College with an Associate of Applied Business, Visual Communications Media and Technology (Graphic Design Concentration).   She also received the VCMT Student of the year for 2014.  Waters has enjoyed the opportunity and support from the AU Art Department staff in continuing her education at AU.  Following graduation, Waters intends to continue working toward her Master’s in Counseling and Art Therapy. 

According to Waters, the many emotional faces that we display are often governed by the norms or expectations of society.  Her work tries to show that all emotions are rooted in something.  Emotions can be spontaneously presented in reaction to something, rooted in an experience from the past, or they can be rooted in the voices that are only heard in the mind. 

At some point we must realize that our ability to express emotions and even the extent that we can express emotions has its ties to our past experiences, our childhood and our relationships.  These experiences guide the way we react, feel or respond to the world around us. Waters displays a collection of pieces showing emotions and wants the viewer to also recognize that what we see expressed on the outside is just a slice of information about the internal person.  Each of us has our own personal triggers and memories that regulate how we react emotionally.

The Coburn Gallery is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon-4 p.m. on weekends. Gallery admission is free and open to the public. COVID-19 safety protocols include: a maximum of 15 visitors in the gallery at one time, and groups no larger than five, and face masks must be worn at all the times on the Ashland University campus, including on the exterior of the buildings.

For more information about the exhibition, call 419-289-5652 or visit the Coburn Gallery page on  Facebook.

Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.###

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