DaMea Hughes is a senior at Valdosta State University graduating in May of 2022. She is from a small, country town called Cedartown in Georgia. When asked about the effect of where she’s from on her work, she states, “art really isn’t a big thing there.” She began her college experience as a criminal justice major with art as a hobby. After realizing her passion for art as a career, Hughes changed her major to interior design. However, in the summer of 2021, Hughes couldn’t get enough and changed her major again to strictly focus on her art. Hughes is part of the senior exhibition titled “In Situ”. This is a Latin phrase that translated means, “the original place”. Hughes states that all the seniors have come together during their college career as artists, and created their own original place within the gallery, hence “In Situ”.
The “Valdosta National 2021”, is an event held by the Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery at Valdosta State University, and many artists from all over the United States are represented at the “Valdosta National.” In an interesting turn of events due to the Coronavirus Outbreak, the “Valdosta National” is shown online for the first time in the show’s history. There is now a possible international audience to the show due to the better visibility of the show. Everyone with internet access across the world can view the “Valdosta National” at any time at their leisure. In some ways, however, there is a disadvantage to the “Valdosta National” being solely online. People cannot get a closer look at the art, especially with the three-dimensional artworks like the sculptures. There is a variety of artwork in 2021’s “Valdosta National,” as paintings, videos, sculptures, mixed media, photography, textiles, lithographs, and etchings are included. Cash awards were given to the top four winners at this exhibition and Claire Dempster was the juror and judge of 2021’s exhibition.
“My body of work is about establishing family ties. All of my photographs are from Maine, which is an important place to my family and I.”
Hannah Wynn
Hannah Wynn has spent her time at Valdosta State University broadening her horizons while also maintaining a deep connection to her familial roots. As she graduates with the VSU Class of 2021, her photographic exploration of growth and bond left a lasting impact on the Spring 2021 Senior Art Exhibition, titled “Living in Color.”
“The Valdosta National 2021” was hosted by Valdosta State University Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery. It is an all media competition that was shown virtually this year due to the pandemic. The juror and judge for the competition this year was Claire Dempster. Some of the featured artists in the show were Amy Broderick, Samuel Dunson, and Martha Underriner.
2020 is turning out to be a crazy year for the entire world. A year that is forcing humanity to awaken from their normal. A year that is challenging traditions. As the world was forced into social distancing, school closures and canceling of large gatherings and events, humanity is forced to become creative problem solvers. Companies became innovative and creative with work from home solutions. Educational institutions created effective transitions to operating classes completely online, making traditional college graduation activities a challenge. Valdosta State University College of Arts provides graduating seniors an opportunity to showcase their work at the Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery, but this year the 2020 Student Exhibition titled “In Bold” is offered as a virtual exhibition online. Traditions forced to be broken can have devasting effects on people but not this group of seniors. This global pandemic presented them with an opportunity to rise above the negative circumstances.
Tatyana Jackson is one of the senior art graduates who is conscious of her energy, a positive, colorful energy that allows him go inside herself and rise above the struggles. This energy is obvious in person and obvious in his acrylic on canvas titled Rose That Grew From Concrete. The vertical brushstrokes of orange, yellow, red and olive green are explosive and intense providing a contrasting background for the single purple rose growing through broken cement. Jackson said, “At the time, I was going through a lot. I was feeling down. I was telling myself to overcome what I was going through to build myself back up. Making that painting I released a lot of stress and I felt good after the fact.”
Tatyana Jackson, A Rose That Grew From Concrete, Acrylic on Canvas, “18 x 24”, 2019
Her chosen quote for the virtual exhibition also displays this energy. “Why would I quit today when tomorrow might be the day I win?”, Her ability to shift perspectives in times of adversity allows him to regain control of his happiness. When asked if she was disappointed by the change of physical venue to virtual venue she described it as “bittersweet.” Her plan to showcase her most recent works, created within the studio classes, did not work out because she had not completed the pieces before the school closures. She found it disappointing at first but then realized she had an opportunity to showcase the graphic art she has been creating for years, along with a couple personal pieces.
Jackson has been working as a freelance graphic artist for the last four years. She was part of the graphic design team in the marketing department at the Valdosta State University Recreation Center for two years and did an internship for a record label in Atlanta, GA. Her graphic work is mostly created for clients. Her passion is creating visual art for her client’s concepts and ideas. Creating a visual expression for her clients’ message they want to express to the world gives her great satisfaction. Her family also gives her satisfaction as well and provides most of her inspiration. She comes from a family of artist and musicians. Her uncle, who passed away from bone cancer, was an artist and is who sparked her interest in art. As a child she loved drawing things she saw, like pictures in comic books or in his words “little crazy drawings something like graffiti.” Eventually these interests grew into graphic art. She says, “I embraced what I thought I knew and began to invest and practice until I got good at it and found a passion for it.” The piece in the Senior Exhibition she feels the most proud of is Reasons, created with Adobe Illustrator. Reasons is an illustrated group portrait of her niece and nephews. The background contains small objects of the kids’ personal interests. Jackson said she does not have kids, but her niece and nephews feel like her kids. Showing that his family will always be his driving motivation.
Tatyana Jackson, Reasons, Adobe Illustrator, 2020
Overall, 2020 has been a rough year for everyone. People have to find ways to continue to live their lives. The previous statement holds true for Tatyana Jackson as she will not be able to experience a graduation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Jackson’s colorful positive energy and family will continue to help her rise above any adversity.
Erica Thrift is a Bachelor of Arts major at Valdosta State University.
Tatyana Jackson, a senior this year at Valdosta State University,
Majoring in Fine arts, is a Graphic Designer primarily but whose mediums can
also include painting. Coming from Carrollton, Georgia Jackson started her
creative journey in highschool but truly refined her path during college.
Jackson said that the inspiration of her art comes from experiences before and
during college, saying that it is an easy way to express herself and other
emotions through her art, as well as being very inspired by family too.
Finally, for Tony Coates, there is something to look forward to during these strange times. What’s certain for him is the completion of his senior year, acquiring a Bachelor’s of Arts degree, at Valdosta State University. The artist, from Gwinnett county, Ga, is featured in Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery exhibition, “In Bold”, along with the rest of his senior class.
He crouched down on the floor with his back against the couch, laughing as we each yelled “Can you hear me now?” into the microphones of our respective laptops. Isaac Wright, a current senior artist in the Valdosta State, Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery exhibition “In Bold,” sat down with me to discuss his livelihood as a maker, as well as his work as a whole. Amid a pandemic that has shaken the world, it has become apparent that the arts are also not immune to panic and have felt the ramifications of a slowing world. Isaac discusses not only how his sleep schedule has been impacted but also his motivation, workspace, artwork, and mindset.
This year the senior exhibition for BFA and BA graduates had to be moved online due to COVID-19; however, this did not stop this amazing group of seniors from displaying their artwork. Each of the seniors in the show has put quite a bit of time into growing their career and expanding on their skill set. Some of the media included in this show are ceramics, printmaking, digital illustration, drawing, and many other media were all represented. The show titled In Bold, showcases the work of 15 seniors graduating from the College of Art at Valdosta State. The form of this years exhibition threw some interest curve balls at the students, but each of them overcame any obstacle presented to create a digital exhibition that will be viewed for years to come.
In her artist statement Margi Weir talks about how her body of work, The Politics of Hue, is not meant to change anyone’s opinion on the chosen socio-political topic. Rather, Weir wants viewers to leave questioning their own thoughts. This exhibition, located at the Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery in Valdosta, Georgia, like many of her work, has underlying meaning to it. All the works presented in the gallery involved Weir’s response to and engagement with the world around her. Her works are visually inviting to the viewer. The repetitive patterns and bold color make viewers wonder how deep the symbolism goes behind her pieces. Many of her works are based around the idea of textiles, or rather stitching together digital patterns to make them visually appealing. She brings these ideas to life by using acrylic, Plexiglas, and vinyl.
