News & Announcements
2024 News
April 2024
K-State Department of Art Student Receives International Recognition!
Last month in Richmond Virginia during the annual National Conference on the Education of Ceramic Art (NCECA) K-State student Justice Catron was awarded first place in the undergraduate category for his artistic research. This peer reviewed exhibition was open to every university and college in America and Canada and is the single most competitive student exhibition in the field of ceramics. It coincides with the annual conference which brings in over 6500 attendees. When asked to comment on the selection of Catron’s work the jurors said “Justice received first not only for the depth of the concept of their work, but also for their meticulous considered craftsmanship. Each element in their installation was thoughtfully considered adding layers that enhanced the impact of the work. Negotiating the scale of the piece demonstrates dedication and a commitment to showcasing their work despite logistical challenges.”
March 2024
Exhibition by Kyra Litwin
The Kansas State University Department of Art will present the exhibition, “Disintegrating Permanence,” by MFA Candidate Kyra Litwin from March 18-22 in the Mark A. Chapman Gallery in Willard Hall, Kansas State University campus. A reception will be held from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm on Friday, March 22 in the gallery. Events are free and open to the public.
Kyra Litwin is originally from Appleton, Wisconsin and earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, with a major in art and minor in archeology. She has participated in numerous regional exhibitions and has won several awards for her drawings and prints.
In her exhibition, Kyra explores her family history, and the palpable impact of generational exchange through drawing and printmaking processes. Her charcoal drawings, dry pigment screen prints, and three-dimensional works created by printing dry, unbound pigment onto sand emulate the passage of time and the concurrent, fading of memory wherein certain details are retained and immortalized, while others deteriorate, becoming blurred, distorted, and forgotten with time. Printing with dry unbound pigments, images are clear, concise, and intact in their initial state. When subjected to time and handling, they begin to distort and blur, becoming at times, reincorporated into the background of the page all together. Extending the conversation of her prints and drawings further, dry, unbound pigments are printed onto sand, producing sharp but transient impressions that will last only for the duration of the show. As the particles break down and the imagery becomes indiscernible, only its essence, and that of the moment remain.
www.art.ksu.edu
Instagram: @kstatemfaart • @kyralitwin
Support for this show was provided in part by the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Small Grant Program for K-State Graduate Students, and funding by KSU SGA Fine Arts Fee.
The Mark A. Chapman Gallery on the first floor of Willard Hall opened in 2005. Cheryl Mellenthin and Mark Chapman fundeda complete renovation of the former Willard Hall Gallery, increasing the exhibition space to over 1,400 square feet along with400 square feet dedicated to exhibition preparation and kitchen facilities. The Department of Art hosts BFA and MFA studentexhibitions in the gallery as part of graduation requirements each semester. The technology friendly gallery serves not onlyexhibition purposes, but also provides a location for an active Visiting Artist lecture program.
2023 News
December 2023
BFA Capstone Exhibition
Kansas State University Department of Art will present the second of two BFA Exhibitions of the fall semester featuring Haley Haines, Allie Parks, and Sara Redger. The artists will showcase an exhibition of their undergraduate artwork from December 11 through 15, 2023 in the Mark A. Chapman Gallery, first floor of Willard Hall. Gallery hours are 8 am-5 pm, Monday through Friday. Please feel free to attend the reception with the artists on Friday evening, December 15, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm in the gallery. Admission is free and open to the public.
Emerging artist of Burlington, Kansas, Haley Haines, unveils a mesmerizing collection, drawing inspiration from her global sojourns. Her reminiscent paintings and prints invite viewers into invented spaces, revealing the depths of her inner world. Through layered silkscreens and vibrant watercolors, Haines weaves narratives that transcend boundaries. Her work is a testament to the profound influence of travel on artistic expression, reflecting a unique fusion of cultures and experiences. The intention of her creations is to resonate with audiences worldwide, offering a soul enriched by exploration, and inviting viewers to embark on their own journeys of discovery.
Allie Parks was born in and currently resides in Northeast Kansas. The Kansas native continues her studies in the arts at Kansas State University. Working on a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a primary focus in drawing and a secondary in printmaking, she works in mixed media, such as markers, watercolor, and ink. The pieces are both abstract and commentaries on events both past and present in her life. She has had work displayed in the 29th Annual Undergraduate Student Exhibition at the Kansas City Artists Coalition, Kansas City, Missouri, and The Scholarship Exhibition, Mark A. Chapman Gallery, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas.
Sara Redger is a talented artist hailing from Topeka. During her tenure at Kansas State University, Redger has received three scholarships and actively engaged in undergraduate research, particularly in the realm of electrolytic etching—a venture supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. Recent work has been featured in Mental Health in Art and World: A Multi-Medium Art Show in Topeka, Kansas, and the Kansas State University Art Scholarship Show in Manhattan, Kansas. Redger’s work serves as an exploration of the rich tapestry of human emotions and personal experiences. Her artistic journey is a vivid narrative, where memories and feelings are translated into expressive and evocative artworks.
The Mark A. Chapman Gallery on the first floor of Willard Hall, across from the art office, opened in 2005. Cheryl Mellenthin and Mark Chapman funded a complete renovation of the former Willard Hall Gallery, increasing the exhibition space to over 1,400 square feet along with 400 square feet dedicated to exhibition preparation and kitchen facilities. The Department of Art hosts BFA and MFA student exhibitions in the gallery as a part of graduation requirements each semester. The technology-friendly gallery serves not only exhibition purposes but also provides a location for an active Visiting Artist lecture program.
BFA Capstone Exhibition
Kansas State University Department of Art will present the first of two BFA exhibitions of the fall semester featuring Holly Frakes, Michelle Jaramillo, and Sarah Presley. The artists will showcase an exhibition of their undergraduate artwork from December 4 through 8, 2023 in the Mark A. Chapman Gallery, first floor of Willard Hall. Gallery hours are 8am - 5pm, Monday through Friday. Please feel free to attend the reception with the artists on Friday evening, December 8, from 5:00 to 7:00pm in the gallery. Admission is free and open to the public.
Painter Holly Frakes of Topeka, Kansas, creates imaginary worlds of shape and color. Each painting holds a world created through a structured composition and skewed perspective. “As a form of distraction, we dive into entertainment or other methods of escapism - yet now, these vices have begun to blur with what is real.” Her paintings question reality and sympathize with those who experience isolation from their modern lifestyle.
Photographer Michelle Jaramillo of Manhattan, Kansas, creates black-and-white photography rooted in the personal aspects of her life, from motherhood to her Mexican American heritage. In this new series of images, she has focused on place-based photography and captured immigrant households’ intimate interiors. She says, “Brimming with cultural artifacts, these spaces showcase their stories, traditions, and the timeless tapestry of the lives that have traversed borders.” Her images embody the connection to her heritage and the profound kinship to the Hispanic community in Manhattan, Kansas.
Sarah Presley is a printmaker from Spring Hill, Kansas, working in intaglio etchings, screenprint, and mixed media collage. Her work addresses how feelings like nostalgia and grief have personally affected her view of home. She says, “It is my hope to capture the notion of home in this print series and spark curiosity about the complexities that lie within each residence we pass by.” This is conveyed through explorations in color, fine linework, collage, and typography.
The Mark A. Chapman Gallery on the first floor of Willard Hall, across from the art office opened in 2005. Cheryl Mellenthin and Mark Chapman funded a complete renovation of the former Willard Hall Gallery, increasing the exhibition space to over 1,400 square feet along with 400 square feet dedicated to exhibition preparation and kitchen facilities. The Department of Art hosts BFA and MFA student exhibitions in the gallery as part of graduation requirements each semester. The technology friendly gallery serves not only exhibition purposes, but also provides a location for an active Visiting Artist lecture program.
October 2023
Visiting Artist Professor Emeritus Geraldine Craig Exhibition
What does it look like when we die? What happens to the energy of a life, when no longer contained by our skin? The architecture of skin is a threshold for so many desires and projections, from inside out and outside in. A membrane of intimacy, joy, and pain. Yet how do we forge a partnership with grief, when the vessel of skin is gone and dissipation of matter isn’t physics theory? Find the forgotten corners, breathe in the dust, shop for skin outside time.
Kansas State University Department of Art presents Shop for Skin an installation by Geraldine Craig. The exhibition will run from October 16 through November 10, 2023 in the Mark A. Chapman Gallery, first floor of Willard Hall. Gallery hours are 8am – 5pm, Monday through Friday. Please feel free to attend the reception with the artists on Monday evening, November 6, from 4:30 to 6:00pm in the gallery. Admission is free and open to the public.
Geraldine Craig’s studio work has been exhibited throughout the United States and Europe, Mexico, Morocco, Japan. She completed a large art commission for University of Kansas Medical Center- Salina with Nelson Smith in 2018. Awards include the 2018-19 Artistic Innovations Grant by Mid-America Arts Alliance & National Endowment for the Arts; International Fellowship, Women’s International Study Center, Santa Fe; Dorothy Liesky Wampler Eminent Professor, James Madison University; Individual Artist Grant, Michigan Council for the Arts; James Renwick Senior Fellow in American Craft, Smithsonian Institution. She was Assistant Director, Cranbrook Academy of Art (2001-2007), and Associate Dean of the Graduate School (2014-18) and Department Head of Art (2007-14) at Kansas State University. She retired in 2022, and is Associate Dean/ Professor of Art Emeritus.
The Mark A. Chapman Gallery on the first floor of Willard Hall, across from the art office, opened in 2005. Cheryl Mellenthin and Mark Chapman funded a complete renovation of the former Willard Hall Gallery, increasing the exhibition space to over 1,400 square feet along with 400 square feet dedicated to exhibition preparation and kitchen facilities. The Department of Art hosts BFA and MFA student exhibitions in the gallery as part of graduation requirements each semester. The technology friendly gallery serves not only exhibition purposes, but also provides a location for an active Visiting Artist lecture program.
Funded in part by KSU SGA Fine Arts Fee.
May 2023
BFA Capstone Exhibition
Kansas State University Department of Art will present the second of two BFA Exhibitions of the spring semester featuring Charlie Bloede and Shayna Strahm. The artists will showcase an exhibition of their undergraduate artwork from May 8 through 12, 2023 in the Mark A. Chapman Gallery, first floor of Willard Hall. Gallery hours are 8am – 5pm, Monday through Friday. Please feel free to attend the reception with the artists on Friday evening, May 12, from 5:00 to 7:00pm in the gallery. Admission is free and open to the public.
Charlie Bloede, an artist from Grayslake, Illinois, explores the historical context of beautification through the medium of printmaking. She is inspired by fashion, trends, and societal expectations. Her prints utilize a combination of techniques such as watercolor screen monoprint, woodblock, and etching. She cuts and folds the prints to create 3D elements, bringing the narratives to life.
Printmaker Shayna Strahm of Sabetha, KS creates mixed media work incorporating many different printmaking techniques. Her work often features organic imagery and lines reflecting on the human struggle with identity and relationships. She states, “everyone can relate to the struggle of deciding who they want to be. I wanted to explore this struggle within my own experiences with relationships.” Her pieces reflect her internal struggle through the stark contrast of her woodblock prints and incorporation of the delicate female form.
The Mark A. Chapman Gallery on the first floor of Willard Hall, across from the art office, opened in 2005. Cheryl Mellenthin and Mark Chapman funded a complete renovation of the former Willard Hall Gallery, increasing the exhibition space to over 1,400 square feet along with 400 square feet dedicated to exhibition preparation and kitchen facilities. The Department of Art hosts BFA and MFA student exhibitions in the gallery as part of graduation requirements each semester. The technology friendly gallery serves not only exhibition purposes, but also provides a location for an active Visiting Artist lecture program.
BFA Capstone Exhibition
Kansas State University Department of Art will present the first of two BFA Exhibitions of the Spring semester featuring Charles Weckwerth and Justice Catron. The artists will showcase an exhibition of their undergraduate artwork from May 1 through 5, 2023 in the Mark A. Chapman Gallery, first floor of Willard Hall. Gallery hours are 8am – 5pm, Monday through Friday. Please feel free to attend the reception with the artists on Friday evening, May 5, from 5:00 to 7:00pm in the gallery. Admission is free and open to the public.
Charles Weckwerth is an artist currently working out of Manhattan, KS. He will receive his Bachelor in Fine Arts with concentrations in painting and printmaking. When he works, the lines between the two media seem blurred, through process and content. Charles creates etchings, screen prints, and large-scale paintings. Charles says, “I seek to convey a sense of humanity in my paintings, something people are drawn to.” His prints and paintings convey this through gestural mark making, material, the surplus, and the lack thereof.
Justice Catron works in Manhattan, KS as a ceramist making vessels with layers of glaze, decals, and luster. The surfaces created draw on imagery of classical Western movies and its interpretations in the 20th century. He says, “My work examines my understanding and perception of identity through my experience as an indigenous person.” His use of modern imagery on traditionally inspired forms creates a juxtaposition between these themes that references ideas of self-portraiture, colonialization, and perseverance.
The Mark A. Chapman Gallery on the first floor of Willard Hall, across from the art office, opened in 2005. Cheryl Mellenthin and Mark Chapman funded a complete renovation of the former Willard Hall Gallery, increasing the exhibition space to over 1,400 square feet along with 400 square feet dedicated to exhibition preparation and kitchen facilities. The Department of Art hosts BFA and MFA student exhibitions in the gallery as part of graduation requirements each semester. The technology friendly gallery serves not only exhibition purposes, but also provides a location for an active Visiting Artist lecture program.
April 2023
Graphic Design BFA Exhibition
The Kansas State University Department of Art will present the Graphic Design BFA Exhibition from April 20-28 in the Mark A. Chapman Gallery, in Willard Hall. A reception will be held from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm on Friday, April 28th in the gallery. Events are free and open to the public. These events are presented and funded by KSU SGA Fine Arts Fee.
March 2023
Bryan Raymundo
The Kansas State University Department of Art will present the exhibition, These Things Happen At Night, by MFA Candidate Bryan Raymundo from March 20-24 in the Mark A. Chapman Gallery, in Willard Hall. A reception will be held from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm on Friday, March 24 in the gallery. Events are free and open to the public.
Bryan Raymundo is originally from Wichita, Kansas and earned his BFA in Studio Art with an emphasis in Printmaking from Wichita State University. He has participated in regional solo and group exhibitions nationwide and has won multiple awards for his prints. While an undergraduate student at WSU, he organized three steamroller events which brought art and local communities together.
As a first generation Mexican American, Bryan Raymundo uses his own personal experience to reflect on notions of cultural displacement and stereotype. Portraiture and representations of the human figure combine with a rich range of images combed from Mexico and America in both the prints and ceramic sculptures. Dissecting lines carved into the plates and blocks before printing create a sense of fragmentation and separation, and large sections sharply cut away during the working process take on meaning through their absence. Combined with the linear, metal pedestals that surround and protect the ceramic pieces, the prints and ceramics in the exhibition create a visual parallel for the feeling of otherness, and the cumulative challenge of navigating two cultures.
Instagram: @raymundoprintmaker
Funding for this show was provided in part by the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Small Grant Program for K-State Graduate Students. These events are also presented and funded in part, by KSU SGA Fine Arts Fee.
Rebecca Hackemann-Bahlmann
Makenzie Burmeister
The Kansas State University Department of Art will present the exhibition, Collisions, by MFA Candidate Makenzie Burmeister from March 6-10 in the Mark A. Chapman Gallery in Willard Hall, Kansas State University campus. A reception will be held from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm on Friday, March 10th in the gallery. Events are free and open to the public.
Makenzie Burmeister is originally from Gretna, Nebraska and earned her BFA in Art Education with an emphasis in Ceramics from the University of South Dakota. During her time there she played soccer and won multiple awards for her sculpture and ceramics pieces.
Collisions showcases site-reflective installation, drawing, and assemblage sculptures that combine the use of new digital applications with conventional ceramics and drawing processes. Cast and found materials evocative of construction and labor are recontextualized and combined through meditative, rhythmic, and highly repetitive action, transforming them from the mundane and industrial into explorative, expressive, and introspective works.
Instagram: @burmeisterceramics
www.etsy.com/shop/BurmeisterCeramics/items
Funding for this show was provided in part by the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Small Grant Program for K-State Graduate Students. These events are also presented and funded in part, by KSU SGA Fine Arts Fee.
January 2023
Rebecca Hackemann-Bahlmann
Congratulations to Associate Professor Dr. Hackemann - her peer reviewed book “3-D Experimental VR and Art Practices - Untangling Another Dimension” is on pre order at University of Chicago Press website, the US distributor:
https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/Other/bo196843995.html
The book includes 3-D works by Dali, William Kentridge, Zoe Beloff and Duchamp with an endorsement by Johnathan Crary, Meyer Shapiro professor of modern art and theory at Columbia University, New York and author of the classic "Techniques of the Observer" by MIT Press.
