Kansas State University Department of Art will present the first of two BFA Exhibitions of the fall semester featuring Ariana Arias and Kai Smith. The artists will showcase an exhibition of their undergraduate artwork from December 2 through 6, 2024 in the Mark A. Chapman Gallery, first floor of Willard Hall. Gallery hours are 8am – 5pm, Monday through Friday. Please feel free to attend the reception with the artists on Friday evening, December 6, from 5:00 to 7:00pm in the gallery. Admission is free and open to the public. 

Ceramic and mixed media artist Ariana Arias of California explores themes of identity and cultural heritage as a second-generation Mexican American. Drawing from a rich tapestry of personal historical narratives, [he/she/they] utilizes ceramics and painting to address the generational trauma linked to colonization and the violence experienced in their life. They say, “Art, for me, is not only a medium for personal healing, but also a means of connecting past, present, and future.” Through the integration of mixed media, their work reflects the complex interplay between individual experiences and collective memory, revealing layers of pain, healing, and resilience. Grounded in the traditions of craft and form, their ceramics embody physicality, while the fluidity of painting expresses emotional transformation. 

Kai Smith is a ceramic artist, printmaker, and graphic designer from Graham, Washington. He is dual majoring, receiving a BFA with concentration in Studio Art with a focus in Ceramics and a BFA in Graphic Design. Kai uses clay and other mixed media applications to create large-scale sculptures of ordinary stationery objects, encompassing feelings of being overwhelmed in the world of academics and the pressures that come with it. He says, “Ever since I was a kid, there was always pressure to succeed academically. It affects me to this day, and I have used these sculptures as a way to work through these emotions and express them to the audience.” 

The Mark A. Chapman Gallery on the first floor of Willard Hall, across from the art office, opened in 2005. Cheryl Mellenthin and Mark Chapman funded a complete renovation of the former Willard Hall Gallery, increasing the exhibition space over 1,400 square feet along with 400 square feet dedicated to exibition preparation and kitchen facilities. The Department of Art hosts BFA and MFA student exhibitions in the gallery as part of graduation requirements each semester. The technology friendly gallery serves not only exhibition purposes, but also provides a location for an active Visiting Artist lecture program.