The current exhibition in PCA&D’s Main Gallery, Selected Artworks from the BFA Program at PCA&D, features a selection of outstanding artwork created by three dozen of our rising junior and senior BFA students. A wide variety of media are represented including digital and hand-painted illustration, sculpture, painting, printmaking, photography and graphic design.

Join us and meet the artists on First Friday, July 7, 5 – 8 p.m.

 

The exhibit runs through July 21. Summer Hours for PCA&D’s Main Gallery, 204 N Prince Street, Lancaster, are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Open First Friday until 8 p.m. Closed Saturdays and Sundays. Opening Reception: First Friday, July 7, 5 -8 p.m.  

See a preview slide show of the work in the exhibit

This is the fourth in a series of posts where PCA&D students talk about their coursework, inspirations, and college experiences.

What did you value most about your PCA&D experience this past year?

Julya Nichols, Photography, Senior, Parkesburg PA

The thing that I valued most during this year of my PCA&D experience was all the different voices I am able to hear when it comes to critiquing my work and have a wide variety of people that I can talk to. Not only do the people in the community give great feedback, but they are also very supportive.

Devon Forst, Illustration, Senior, Dysart PA

I would say the more “professional” and legitimate assignments, and the possible exposure that came from them, were very valuable. Participating in online art challenges and museum galleries as a class really offered a nice insight into what is out there beyond just the display walls here at PCA&D!

Thomas White, Fine Art, Senior, York PA

My peers and their input and the resource of my professors.

Brigitte Errickson, Fine Art, Junior, Changewater NJ

This past year I’ve come to realize that I really value the connections I’ve made with people at PCA&D. The students and faculty here are, in general, pretty amazing. Some are just downright amazing, plain and simple. I feel like I can start a conversation with anyone and they’ll be open to it. I’ve had opportunities to discuss art with my peers and professors and learned many interesting, and occasionally random, things from them.

Melanie Vera, Fine Art, Junior, Bel Air MD

Working alongside other students and receiving critiques has really helped me grow as an artist. Once you learn to appreciate other people critiquing your own work, you can improve your techniques and concepts.

Michaela Robertson, Photography Junior, Hershey, PA

I’m honestly very grateful for how hard Eric Weeks and the other photography professors push us. Sure, there were some hard weeks during our sophomore year, but we all have grown so much because of it. Sometimes Eric can seem a little crazy or wacky but there’s always a method to his madness.

What inspires you to create?

Antoinette Troller, Illustration, Junior, Effort PA

It’s not really anything in particular, it is more an urge. If I go a period of time without creating something, I notice that my mood changes and I tend to get on the grumpy side. I need to create because it is what I love to do and it has always been an outlet for my emotions which have a tendency to get bottled up inside.

Devon Forst, Illustration, Senior, Dysart PA

My inspiration comes from a lot of different places including: music and film, poetry and lyrics, literature and fairytales, and other illustrators I admire. My own daydreams coupled with some of these things usually help me to start a new piece!

 Thomas White, Fine Art, Senior, York PA

My emotions.

Chris Morris, Digital Media, Junior, Bear DE

Much of what inspires the work I create comes from my connection to world-building and storytelling growing up. I’ve always loved video games and animation for their ability to take the audience to a virtual space defined by fantasy places and engaging storylines from which the audience can gain personal insight from.  With every piece I create, I remind myself of my goals to enter the game industry and build the worlds and stories like those that inspired me growing up.

Brigitte Errickson, Fine Art, Junior, Changewater NJ

I take inspiration from various sources. Nature, music, and kids shows are probably the top three.

Shealyn Oto, Fine Art, Junior, Northumberland, PA

I have always been fascinated and inspired by the ability to imagine. The imagination, and what can come of it, is a critical part of my work. Since I was little, I’ve been creating worlds and creatures to inhabit those worlds, with their own names, cultures, stories, etc. I am also inspired by the natural world, the real world. Naturalism is my strongest artistic ability. I love being create work influenced by both the imagination, and realistic features, because the ability to imagine something completely beyond reality’s boundaries is something uniquely human. We can create and share so many fascinating ideas, and that, to me, is one of the most beautiful things in the world.

Has there been any particular assignment, or certain faculty member who has strongly influenced your work?

Melanie Vera, Fine Art, Junior, Bel Air MD

The Making and Meaning class from sophomore year has really opened new mediums for me to explore. I like the ability to create what I want along with receiving peer critiques.

Cathrine Spengler, Graphic Design, Junior, Lancaster PA

The vinyl album assignment. I got to experiment with traditional and digital mediums to create the pattern I made for the band I chose. I created the pattern using acrylic fluid technique then made it a vector image in illustrator. It was fun.

Devon Forst, Illustration, Senior, Dysart PA

Although it may not count as a true “assignment”, I would say that the Target Market project & presentation has really been an eye-opener for me as an illustrator. Christina Hess and Eric Fowler in particular taught us a lot about each specific field of illustration and offered great advice, and after doing my own research for the presentation I felt a deeper sense of what I wanted to pursue in the future as a professional illustrator.

Chris Morris, Digital Media, Junior, Bear DE

Motion and Story with Jon DiVenti was a great class that I took a lot away from. Over the course of the semester we developed a story from just a simple concept to a fully developed animatic.  I have never worked on a singular project as hard as I did this project, and with guidance from Jon and my fellow classmates the project gradually became the one I am most proud of creating during my time at PCA&D.

Michaela Robertson, Photography Junior, Hershey, PA

I think my photo family at PCAD has influenced my work more than any assignment or professor ever could have. The critiques and life advice I have gotten from them as peers has improved who I am as a person and the art that I am capable of making. Between listening to music during late nights at the school and going on crazy adventures together in search of content and concept, I don’t know where my work would be without them.