“Close at Hand” at Oakland’s Mills College Art Museum showcases the final artworks created by the 2014 graduating senior class of the college’s Studio Art program: Lora ChauDavis, Vanessa Cisneros, Sarah Depol, Kate Rose, Bridget Shaw, Minna Smith, Bridget Stagnitto, Anna Torres, and Christina Yglesias. Participation in the Senior Thesis Exhibition and the artworks on view are the manifest of many years hard work that include deep introspection, education, risk-taking and experimentation, and exposure to many possible influences. At Mills College these nine graduating students worked alongside professional, working artists and teachers in a variety of mediums including painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography and media arts while gaining working experience in curation, installation procedures, and cataloging processes. The greater Art Department also offers undergraduates, like these students, access to learn from and engage with notable artists and writers through the Correnah W. Wright Lecture Series on Contemporary Art. Affiliated international study abroad programs as well as particular student exchange programs with colleges and universities on the East Coast are also available to undergraduate students to further enrich their experiences. As a result, this graduating class illustrates through the Senior Thesis Exhibition the strong foundation and acquisition of major skills critical to their unique artistic practice fashioned from a variety of experiences, opportunities, and knowledge fundamental to their craft. In many ways, “Close at Hand” is an important final chapter, but in others it is just the beginning of their career.

 

“Close at Hand” Senior Thesis Exhibition will be at Mills College Art Museum, 5000 McArthur Blvd. through April 20, 2014