Kansas State University Department of Art will present the last of three BFA Exhibitions of the spring semester featuring Annika Jackson, Michael Kohler, Brooklyn Linden, and Peter Neeck. The artists will showcase an exhibition of their undergraduate artwork from May 12 through 16, 2025 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, May 16, from 5 – 7pm in the gallery. Admission is free and open to the public.

Painter Annika Jackson from Kansas City, Missouri creates colorful oil paintings on canvas. Her paintings include her and her cat Mira in their shared space with different points of view. Her paintings investigate the relationship between her and Mira and how she feels similar and connected to her cat.

Printmaker/Metalsmith Michael Kohler from Keats, Kansas, retired Army, creates prints using relief and etching and objects using metal forming and casting. Prints and objects often take on geometric or pop culture references but are also inspired by family games and life experiences. He says, “The making of art should not be seeking to be as good as someone you admire but the best yours can be on its own.” Images and objects take on a life of their own; creating form through line work while etching a plate or carving a block and shaping of metal by cutting, molding, and casting don’t always go as intended but often lead to more truth as you work through the changes.

Brooklyn Linden, a metalsmith and jewelry artist from Sterling, Kansas, creates highly textured pieces using lost wax casting and precise wax pen techniques. Inspired by the delicate structures of fish skeletons and the organic beauty of aquatic plants, her work reflects the constant cycle of growth, decay, and renewal in nature. Each piece showcases a harmonious contrast of bold textures and intricate details that explore the beauty and complexity of the natural world.

Peter Neeck, a painter and graphic designer from Topeka, Kansas, makes intimate oil paintings that invite the viewer to accompany him on a voyage through memory. Inspired by magical everyday moments, his energetic brushstrokes portray a melting pot of experiences that encourage the viewer to participate in their own experiential reflections. He says, “My paintings act as a universal scrapbook, regardless of background, uniting diverse viewpoints of the world through a common visual portal in order to rekindle forgotten memories.”

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 to over 1,400 square feet along with 400 square feet dedicated to exhibition 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.