Matthew Wenz

Graphic Design

Matthew’s work is characterized with a style that evokes playfulness and sense of humor balanced with earnestness. Meaning and messages are conveyed in his art using simple design elements with subtle details to create unique graphics that tell stories. Designing is like problem solving, and like language the graphic arts is a way of communication. Matthew conceptualizes design solutions specifically to portray the desires and needs of every client and project. He is influenced by the cultural, social and natural environment from history to speculations of the future. Matthew finds inspiration and beauty in all possible surroundings, from industrial landscapes of the past to serene and desolate scenes from planets yet to be explored.

Jeremy Irvin

Jewelry

Jewelry is not only functional but wearable in everyday life, providing the opportunity for work to be worn and seen, as pieces become a part of their wearer's identity.  Whether a piece symbolizes marriage, provides a narrative, or exists simply for the sake of beauty, it is worn to be seen.  This act of ornamentation allows it to come into itself as art, as it is best able to be viewed and appreciated when worn.  This philosophy of jewelry is the basis for every piece I create.  Regardless of what materials or techniques I may use, I focus on a unique yet functional beauty.

This body of work utilizes acrylic glass as an exploration of form, technique, and material.  I was Initially attracted to this medium due to its light weight, durability, and strong translucent properties and have integrated it into jewelry which, while recognizable in form, is distinct in approach.  My goal with this work is to push the boundaries of conventional jewelry aesthetics while still remaining tethered to the discipline's tradition.  The forms are created to appear simple in order to further emphasize the unique aesthetic which the acrylic provides.  Each piece is created with the relationship of the wearer in mind in order to create art which is minimalist in design, but sculptural and sophisticated in execution.

Aveline Layne

Ceramics

Through interacting intimately with nature, and learning to truly cherish and respect all that the earth has to offer, the work became about relating reverence for the earth to others. By using the medium of clay, I communicate with trees as well as the land that surrounds me in my work outside. These moments, during which I work to be deeply connected to my surroundings, are vitally important to the immediacy of the work. Through the memory of the clay, a preservation and a map of what is at stake is created. These maps serve as a background to all of the essentials in our world that we have grown to take for granted. These necessities are now burned out and relate an unfamiliar negative, bringing their loss into the foreground. It is never clear what these forms once were, as it is lost in the relief that remains - perhaps an indication of all that will remain if we continue on the path we are treading. The sculptures are intimations as well as imitations, uniting the preservation of the earth with the loss of fundamental elements to our livelihood. They reveal what we are already losing, leave us with a poor simulacrum, and cause us to question what should be held as valuable in our world.

Lindsay Peyton

Jerry Slough

Andrea Thomas