By Will Livingston | Staff Writer and Elijah Templeton | Opinion Editor

Two senior art students are showcasing a collection of their college work in the “Survive or Die Trying” art exhibition at the Bradbury Art Museum. 

“This is the senior’s capstone exhibit, sort of their thesis project. The main idea is to use the exhibition as the culmination of all of their work as art students at A-State,” said Madeleine McMahan, assistant director of the Bradbury Art Museum.

One artist, Aaron Conger, a senior studio art major from Batesville, Arkansas, said this exhibit culminates a lifelong passion.

“It goes back to my childhood, I’ve always had this love for dinosaurs. It kind of evolved more when I saw ‘Godzilla’ and it really became a passion for my entire life, this desire to look at these enormous animals that are no longer here and sort of marvel at what these creatures are and what they were like,” Conger said. 

Conger said he decided to pursue art seriously in college shortly after transferring to A-State from the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville in 2021. 

“As long as I can remember, this is what I wanted to do, but it became more clear that I wanted to pursue it when I transferred to A-State. I definitely want to establish a career in art and keep pursuing it when I graduate,” Conger said. 

Conger said he used a variety of mediums for his exhibition, “Creation Through Destruction.” 

“Creation has always been an integral part of science. Using ink drawings, ceramic sculpture and felting, I explored various subjects like Godzilla, dinosaurs and the atomic bomb. My work is centered on the concepts of life and death, as creatures on this planet, including us, fight to stay alive because we value life so highly and fear death so much,” Conger said. 

Senior studio art major Elizabeth Vansandt said art has been her interest from an early age.

“Ever since I was young. I’ve always been interested in painting and drawing more than I was playing with toys when I was younger,” Vansandt said. 

Vansandt’s collection, “Southern Decay,” features various mediums, from crochet to photography to garments. 

“‘Southern Decay’ is a collection of wearable fiber arts that aptly captures the essence of the great outdoors of Southeast Arkansas,” Vansandt said. “The collection is a tribute to the natural and cultivated landscapes that I grew up around.”

Nature plays a role in most of Vansandt’s work. 

“I like looking at nature a lot,” Vansandt said. “I’m pulling from my own memories of nature growing up because I spend a lot of time outside.”

The free exhibition will be on display until May 1 at the Bradbury Art Museum. 

Categories: Arts & Entertainment