True Colors
4/24/2023
Art and VAEM Students Showcased Their Creativity
2023 Capstone Immersive Art Exhibition Ran From April 27 Through May 9
Exhibiting Artists: Jeremy Alonzo | Keshawn Faux | Giovanni Garufi | Jasmine Izquierdo
Location: CMSV Conservatory in Marillac Hall
Exhibition Dates: Thursday, April 27 to Tuesday, May 9, 2023
Opening Reception Event: Thursday, April 27 | 4-7 p.m.
The Division of Communication, Art, and Media was excited to announce their second annual exhibition for graduating studio art and visual arts and experimental media (VAEM) majors from April 27 to May 9, 2023. This year’s artwork was on display in the newly-renovated space on the first floor and porch of Marillac Hall housing the CMSV Conservatory.
Presenting their final projects were Jeremy Alonzo, Keshawn Faux, Giovanni Garufi, and Jasmine Izquierdo. Each of these four students spent the past semester under the mentorship of Assistant Professor of Studio Art and VAEM Laura Elayne Miller during their Spring Senior Capstone Seminar.
Interdisciplinary and conceptually inspiring, the artworks exhibited invited viewers into new worlds, each a world of its own. Exploring both intrinsic and extrinsic relationships, exhibit observers found themselves bridging memory and music, adventuring into an animated futuristic city, inhabiting a personalized brand, and revealing coming-of-age transformations. The artists employed a breadth of art-making strategies to create their bodies of work, including: digital art, acrylic painting, game design, installation art, video, and fashion design. As each artist shared the intimacies of their personal perceptions, the viewer journeyed into unfamiliar worlds with the kinship of our shared humanity and passion.
A variety of mediums were used to develop each student artists’ work. Whether created through photography, digital art, drawing, painting, sculpture, video, or sound, the interdisciplinary nature of each piece showcased the students’ deep delve into the art-making process. Exploring the breadth of artistic engagement, the students sought to engage each exhibit viewer in their unique expressions of their craft.
Click here to view photos from the event!
Meet the Artists
Jeremy Alonzo is an undergraduate student majoring in visual arts and experimental media and minoring in business. After taking different classes that focused on drawing techniques and the use of color, his artwork consists of digital sketches and drawings of characters and environments from different forms of content—video games, movies, music—with a main focus on color and shapes to put it into a cartoon style. Jeremy’s work is often created in response to inspiration from popular culture, expressed through his own unique style.
Keshawn Faux is a photographer, videographer, and a digital editor who likes to play with as many effects as he can. As an artist, he loves using vibrant colors and wacky-looking effects that align with his creative vision. Recent accomplishments include: creating the poster image for the Experimental Video Art Screening at CMSV in 2022, the photography series My Thoughts showcased in Maryvale Hall, and an Instagram repost of original video work on the channel of famous musician, UnoTheActivist. A Bronx native, Keshawn will graduate with a degree in visual arts and experimental media this Spring.
Giovanni Garufi is a multimedia artist, whose work ranges in painting, illustration, sculpture, photography, film making, photoshop, clothing design, and more. His work ranges in inspiration from deeply emotional concepts to anything that inspires in the moment. It’s all a reflection of the mind and who he is. He is graduating with a degree in visual arts and experimental media from the University of Mount Saint Vincent, and has a BS in business with a concentration in marketing from Elmira College. In 2022, he interned as a graphic designer for Vivid Zero and finished third place in Elmira College’s student art show.
Jasmine Izquierdo is a visual artist from New York City. Her tenacious approach to artmaking requires an adventure and good music. As an experimental artist, Jasmine sources her inspiration through music, films, and fashion. The process of conceiving and creating art is both self-expression and self-healing. Born and raised in NYC, Jasmine sought to gain awareness of her environment from a young age, and the consistent diversity that surrounds her constantly inspires her potential as an artist. As a first-generation college student, Jasmine is proud to be receiving her BA in visual arts and experimental media with a minor in communication from the University of Mount Saint Vincent.
The opening reception on April 27 was free and open to both the College community and the public. Refreshments were served and the reception also featured live music from members of the CMSV Conservatory.
About the Spring Senior Capstone Seminar
Capstone is the thesis course for art and visual arts and experimental media majors that bridges their artistic course of study in preparation for a professional career. Through the development of a substantial new body of artwork, students gain the skills to realize a significant series of artworks that reflect their unique synthesis of studio practices and current point of focus, distinct relationship to art historical, theoretical, and contemporary context, while developing professional skills—including creative research, critical writing, professional documentation, and presentation of their work. The curriculum is centered in the following categories:
Connected Studio Practices: Students synthesize their course of study thus far by identifying methods of making, material and aesthetic strategies, and articulation of conceptual ideas towards the creation of a significant body of artwork and development of artistic portfolios.
Process and Critique: Developing artwork from conceptualization to completion with a focus on experimentation and iterations over time, students hone their ability to generate thoughtful work using research and various methods of artistic practice. Through ongoing critiques, students will hone their ability to think critically about their work through articulation and decisiveness in presentation and discussion, as well as further their abilities to give and receive critical feedback.
Professional Development: Workshops focus on interdisciplinary research methods, advanced art making processes, critical art writing, professional photo and editorial documentation of artwork, portfolio development, and an exhibition of a fully realized new body of artwork.
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment and leadership in the 21st century.