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The thought-provoking and eye-catching works of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) candidates are now on display in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Art and Design’s MFA and BFA Virtual Exhibition.

Each spring, the creative talents of BFA and MFA candidates are showcased in the Art and Design West Gallery, culminating years of hard work and dedication. This year, event cancellations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led to the reimagined, alternate exhibition in a virtual format.

SIUE Digital Photography Professor Abbey Hepner developed the exhibition, available at siueexhibitions.com. The works are also being featured on Instagram at @siueexhibitions.

“Schools across the country have had to adapt quickly and devise alternative exhibition formats for their graduating MFA and BFA candidates,” Hepner said. “The art and design faculty were aware of many other institutions moving their exhibitions online as stay-at-home orders took hold. Our virtual exhibition was not intended to replace the physical exhibition. Still, we thought it was important for the hard work of our students to be recognized at the end of their final semester. The exhibition is such an important milestone where years of hard work and dedication are on display and celebrated.”

The MFA and BFA Virtual Exhibition showcases the creative research of MFA candidates Austin Hinderliter, Jenny Kettler, Sebastian Restrepo and Vincent Stemmler, as well as BFA candidates Sutton Allen, Teresa Frisch, Haley Clancy Inyart, Delaney Jansen, Elizabeth Klein, Joseph Ovalle, Craig Reis, Elijah Smith, Mary Vozenilek and Hanna Wiegand.

Each has explored their creative practice with the supervision of a faculty committee. Extensive study in an area of concentration, combined with coursework in the history of art and related fields, helps each artist situate their work in a broader context of contemporary art and design practices.

“For many of our students, experiencing their artwork in person is critical,” Hepner explained. “I commend the students for getting creative with limited materials. Many had to photograph their work on kitchen tables and in their front yard, or provide sketches or digital mockups of their design plans. They were willing to share work in progress that I hope keeps us all excited to see their work in person in the future.”

Each day during the last two weeks of the spring 2020 semester, Hepner has shared progress photos and descriptions of one of the 14 candidates’ projects. She said the faculty initially discussed moving the exhibition to the summer, but with uncertainty still surrounding larger gatherings, they are in conversation about it taking place during the fall 2020 semester.

“It is possible that not every student will be in the area and able to participate in the exhibition, but we hope to be able to provide that opportunity for them,” said Hepner.

Photo: Among the works on display in the MFA and BFA Virtual Exhibition is a piece by Mary Vozenilek, of Peoria, titled “Renewal.”