Goshen College’s art program has several graduating seniors this year. Many of them have been very involved in the art community on campus and throughout Goshen, and the second senior art show is currently open in the Music Center.

Ryan Snider, a senior art major, will be working in Colorado this summer. He received an internship with the Anderson Ranch Arts Center, and he will spend four months working with them as a sculpture intern. This role will involve assisting with workshops throughout the summer, as well as working with guests. “Getting a chance to work with all the visiting artists will be very exciting,” Snider said.

Snider is also excited to work with a variety of sculpture mediums. The center offers workshops in flame working, metal casting and marionette making, among other mediums.

Aaliah Higareda is a senior graphic design major. She received an Emerging Artist Scholarship from the Northern Indiana Clay Alliance, a recently established organization. This scholarship is full of opportunities for Higareda, including a free membership to NICA. “You can receive a chance to go to shows, and you get a spot on the Michiana Pottery Tour,” she said.

In addition to her work in the art field, Higareda was awarded GC’s President’s Graduating Leader Award. “Receiving an award like that shows that different leaderships throughout GC will be recognized no matter what you’re doing,” said Higareda. “I’m more on the arts [and] creative side compared to some of the others, and it just shows that if you are dedicated to your passions, you will be recognized.”

Jacob Dixon, a senior art major, also has some exciting opportunities in front of him, beginning with an exhibition of his artwork in a gallery in Virginia starting this summer. This exhibition will be “focusing on themes that intertwine sculptural and 2-D elements, with a conceptual focus on place and memory through the lens of the environment,” Dixon said. 

After this exhibit, Dixon hopes to show his art in Kentucky and then New York. He will continue to take commissions and further expand his network throughout communities outside of Goshen.

Sara Method, chair of the art department, has worked with all of these graduating seniors. “It is really rewarding for us, as faculty, to see our students implement all that they have learned, take a leap and strive for something and boldly move on in their journey to whatever is next,” she said.

 “We do not ask them to have a set plan in mind and know exactly what they want to do when they graduate. Instead, we encourage them to be curious and open to whatever opportunities present themselves and to trust their judgment and abilities as they move forward.”

All three of these artists exhibited their work in the first of two senior art shows last month, and were very happy with the show. Higareda created her exhibit around the motif of sock monkeys, including digital illustrations in a calendar and a lotería set, as well as ceramic pieces. Snider enjoyed his experiments with large-scale work, including steel figures with terrariums in their stomachs, creating a dichotomy  between the harsh nature of the steel while holding life. Snider and Dixon also collaborated on a large-scale sculpture.

Before these artists leave GC, they will all be participating in the student art sale on April 20. This sale is an opportunity for students and staff to buy pieces of art that they may not have a chance to purchase, as well as a chance for student artists to display and sell their work. 

This year’s art sale will also feature a silent auction for some larger, higher-profile pieces, with some proceeds going to support the printing and mailing department.