Spring Arbor University Crusader

Issue date: 4/24/08 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Amy Dodds Roxanne Fogel putting finishing touches on one of her photos

Every semester finds the Ganton Art Gallery filled with a wide variety of shows ranging from professional artists in the world to work from students at the end of the semester. But arguably the most impressive shows are the ones featuring the graduating seniors. The senior show is required for graduation as an art major at Spring Arbor University and is by no means a simple task.

It all begins at least a semester earlier. For Roxanne Fogel and Heather Gardner, began preparing for their shows before they even grasped what their themes would be. Part of what inspires a theme is just creating and finding a niche that fits one's passions and styles. For Fogel, her niche is what she calls "natural portraiture".

"I knew I wanted to work with people and once I started connecting with people the idea of natural portraiture became something I fell in love with."

Gardner has a different story: "I kept bringing my work into photo three class and was told I needed to narrow down and then narrow more. I kept narrowing until I fell into the industrial theme and then kept going with that."

Just as quickly as an artist finds passion, she can become suppressed by it as well. Gardner can attest to how much her show has run her life over the last few months. She was in the art building every day picking fights with the finicky printer and coaxing her photographs out of the computer onto paper.

Her life has revolved around Photoshop and printing and each day, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. (minus class) she could be found in the art building working. Fogel insisted that the most difficult part of putting together her show was the "strain of to keep creativity flourishing." She loved her idea but after months upon months of it, it became creatively draining.

Admist the lack of sleep and habitual meal skipping, the artists remained healthy and gradually produced their required 50 works. Time isn't the only thing a senior show requires. It also leaves considerably lighter pockets. Fogel spent approximately $900 while Gardner spent "over a grand, easy."

Yet when it was all done there is a sense of pride and achievement. As it is with most art majors they are both ready to move on to other projects. Fogel already has 10 weddings lined up this summer and autumn to photograph and has plans for another series in the works. Gardner will move to New York with her husband and begin looking for a teaching position. But for now, they have a day or two to breathe a little lighter now the culmination of their education has been completed.

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