Alyssa Sanders, a senior art education major, takes you onto a journey with her exhibit “Exploring Art” in the Brindle Gallery. Sanders’ exhibit features eight pieces of art, each with a different story and style to them.
Sanders’ favorite medium is ceramics, even though it is the most time consuming. Two of her pieces in the exhibit, “Jar of Clay” and “Mary Magdalene,” took the longest to make.
Ceramic work of art titled "Jar of Clay" from Alyssa Sanders.
“Mary Magdalene” holds a reference to the Bible and how she was possessed by seven demons, until she was saved by Jesus’ touch. “so that’s why half of her face looks like it’s being possessed or overtaken by the evil in this world, and then one is obviously Christ’s hands touching her and casting out those demons,” Sanders said.
Sanders’ love for art began when she was in kindergarten. Her art teacher during this time, Mrs. DeStefano, had a way of bringing that passion to her students. Sanders felt connected through the lessons and ever since then, it just blossomed from there. Sanders even got to go back to her classroom and job shadow, which she described it as a “full circle moment.”
Her painting “Societal Influences” is grayscale, with a singular ribbon of red coming out of a woman’s mouth who is reading a newspaper. This piece feels closest to Sanders because it is only one out of a series of paintings that she will be submitting into the Kauffman Gallery for the Senior Art Exhibit. The theme reflects religious oppression by authority figures, and the red is symbolizing the oppression. In “Societal Influences” her goal was to highlight how society plays an impact on people’s beliefs and being told what to think.
Sanders had a beautiful way of depicting what art means to her. It is a form of expression, yet a way to reflect personal beliefs. She believes she was put on this Earth to produce art, and by doing that it is her way of giving back to God. “I credit all of my artistic talent from him and use it to point it back to him and his glory,” Sanders said.
The creativity flows within the room and in your bones. “Mobile” is a piece that was made up from an assignment. Sanders was given a deer bone and a chunk of Balsa wood and tasked with carving a replica. She likes to make most of her pieces on the uplifting side, but she found it hard to do with a bone. She added sea glass and wire to make it look like a baby mobile.
Sanders draws inspiration through listening to Christian music and gets ideas from words that jump out at her. After graduation, Sanders plans to pursue teaching the arts to high school students. Her artwork “Exploring Art” is worth exploring and will be in the Brindle Gallery until Feb. 27.
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