The Foster Gallery hosts and exhibition by May 2025 Bachelor of Fine Arts degree candidates. Students will displayed their creative research spanning disciplines such as graphic design, illustration, and sculpture. Each student designs and executes their own creative project and participates in professional practices of presentation, installation, curating, and writing artist statements. The exhibition opens to the public on Friday, April 25 in the Foster Gallery. The creative research is documented in a video presentation highlighting each individual student's creative project and will be available prior to the opening of the exhibition.
The Fall 2024 Bachelor of Fine Arts exhibition featured artwork by BFA degree candidates who graduated in December 2024. The exhibition displayed the students' creative research spanning disciplines such as graphic design, illustration, and printmaking. Each student designed and executed their own creative project and participated in professional practices of presentation, installation, curating, and writing artist statements. Although the exhibition has concluded, this creative research is documented in a video presentation highlighting each individual student's creative project.
This research examines how the ‘Beyond the Gaze’ exhibition improved accessibility within Foster Gallery and provides recommendations for museums and other cultural institutions to ensure access for all visitors. Existing guidelines, such as the 2010 American with Disability Act (ADA) Guidelines, outline only basic requirements. A 2020 LA County Arts and Culture report highlights accessibility challenges in the arts through interviews with disabled artists. It emphasizes that while accessibility broadens engagement, barriers persist. Some artworks remain inaccessible unless designed inclusively, and modifications can sometimes alter interpretation. My approach includes evaluating the Foster Gallery's physical space, signage, exhibition design, and visitor experience to identify both strengths and areas for improvement. I used feedback from artists and accessibility professionals to create practical solutions. This research reveals that while the exhibition made strides in accessibility within Foster Gallery, such as improved signage, wider circulation routes, and tactile exhibition elements, more improvements are needed. Key recommendations for galleries include alternative text formats, interactive audio guides, adequate seating, and accessible exhibition layouts that meet and exceed ADA standards. By prioritizing accessibility, institutions can create environments where all individuals can fully engage with and enjoy artistic and historical experiences.
The Permanent Art Collection (PAC) at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire began in the 1930s, with regular donations made by members of the public beginning in the 1960s. Materials acquired by the PAC were housed across campus in the Haas Fine Arts building and McIntyre Library. Dr. Karen O’Day identified a group of African artworks in the fall of 2023. Since July 2024, researchers have worked to study the provenance and condition of the 46 Ghanaian metal objects in the University's possession through the lens of art history, geography, materials science, and archival research. Questions fell into function, cultural use and meaning, and the acquisition of the pieces by the University. Research was also done into the material composition of each of the pieces using an X-Ray Fluorescence machine through the Materials Science department of the University. Creation of administrative practices for materials acquired by the PAC is guided by methodologies of exhibition, archival collection management, and public history within the discipline of museum sciences. This research aims to develop and implement a standard of acquisition within UWEC’s Permanent art collection, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration to develop robust, publicly available catalogs of material objects owned by the University.
We aimed to increase awareness of the local flora and fauna that many people may not be awarelive in the Chippewa River. We decided to create glass mosaics to adorn the windows of the busstop in front of Haas Fine Arts Center as it is an accessible location for many people passingthrough Water Street.We used glass for its translucent properties, durability, and longevity to ensure that no harmwould be brought to the local environment through use of toxic materials and to make sure itwill last for years to come with little need for maintenance.The various colors of the glass pieces and the location result in the appearance changingthroughout the day and seasons as the available light differs, keeping it intriguing for andvisible for both visitors and the bus drivers they are waiting for.Our project resulted in a beautiful piece of art that succeeds in showcasing many local endangeredfish and demonstrating the talents of graduates from the art program. The location nearby theriver may also tempt curious minds to see if they can spot any of the creatures themselves.
The purpose of this study is to measure the effectiveness of a student-led art session with college students. Participants are randomly selected by volunteer. Participants will be given a pre-and post-session survey. The survey will assess demographics and then stress levels pre- and post- session. The post-session survey will also assess likelihood to continue the use of art therapy in professional as well as non-professional settings.
Designing Curatorial Stories is a collaborative creative research project between Senior graphic design student, Drew Bauer, Associate Professor of Art Cedar Marie, and Assistant Professor of Art, Mykola Haleta, to study collaborative curation and design an artist catalog for the exhibition "Drawing on Narratives". The exhibition opened at MAINSITE Contemporary Art Gallery in Norman, Oklahoma December 13, 2024, and will close on February 14, 2025. UWEC Associate Professor Cedar Marie curated the exhibit which explores the ways artists tell stories through visual imagery, metaphor, and the drawing process. The exhibition also collaborated with the University of Oklahoma student group Composers United, to compose scores for a featured artwork from each artist in the exhibition and to perform live at an event scheduled for February 13, 2025 at Mainsite in Norman.
