An exhibition of artwork by seniors at Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts is on view at the College’s Chauncey Stillman and Sill House Galleries through May 17.  These seniors are studying for a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and will graduate in May 2014.

The Senior Studio experience at the College allows students to refine their vision and develop a skill set in order to create a body of work that exemplifies their individual interests, talents, and artistic sensibilities.  The Senior Studio Exhibition 2014 reflects the culmination of this project.  Students will be present at the opening reception and available to discuss their work.  Both the reception and exhibition are free and open to the public; all are welcome.

Each student conceives their own project for the exhibition, and—with ongoing support and input from the faculty and their student peers   ̶  executes and presents it within a set amount of time.  Hayley Ashkenas (BFA Painting) of Berkeley, Calif., explains it this way, “It’s a pre-cursor of real life with gallery deadlines.  With so much buzzing around in your head, you have to not worry about the final product and just think clearly and slowly as you go through the process.” Chris O’Flaherty (BFA Painting) of Griswold, Conn., adds, “It’s definitely a challenging ride!  It’s the bridge between here and the next step.”

Sally Seaman, Dean of Academic Affairs at Lyme Academy College, comments, “This is such an exciting time for the seniors as they create a unified body of work. In the fall they experiment with different ideas using what they have learned from the previous three years at the College. Finally, after a great deal of work and many group critiques involving faculty and the other seniors, it all comes together. It’s absolutely phenomenal how this happens each year and quite exciting to watch and experience.” Magdalena Pawlowski (BFA Painting) from Nantucket, Mass., sums up the senior experience this way, “We all work very hard. It takes a lot of devotion and really prepares you for life.”

Both the Chauncey Stillman and Sill House galleries are free and open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The College gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Leon and Bernadette Olivier, Outthink, Sennheiser Electronic Corporation, and Saybrook Point Inn/Fresh Salt, for this exhibition.

For more information about the exhibition or Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, contact the Director of Marketing and Public Relations at 860-434-3571, ext. 135 or ologan@lymeacademy.edu