Marion Art Gallery exhibition to feature works by graduating seniors

Works by Visual Arts and New Media students will be on display in the Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery.

The Fall 2025 senior show “Entirely Human” opens at SUNY Fredonia with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5 in the Marion Gallery. It is an opportunity to meet the artists and enjoy free hors d’oeuvres and beverages.

On display through Dec. 11, the exhibition includes artist’s books, ceramics, concept art for animations, graphic design (including book covers, tarot cards, cat café branding campaign), illustrations, installations, photographs, and mixed media paintings by 16 graduating seniors from the Department of Visual Arts and New Media.

Participating artists are Zack Buckner, Chandler Cotter, Jakob Cullen, Gallagher, Brianna Gasper, Adam Giel, Julia Gorman, Jonah Grace, AJ Hanrahan, Madeleine Lasher, Vanessa Lotito, Samantha Mackey, Blake Neville, Piper Ridge, Ella Silivestro, and Mel Vazquez Correa.

The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. The Marion Art Gallery is located on the main level of Rockefeller Arts Center.

The title “Entirely Human” refers to the complete and authentic experience of being human, encompassing both strengths and weaknesses, emotions, limitations, and potential. The artists hope that the theme encourages visitors to embrace their entire self, including imperfections, while striving for personal growth and connection with others.

• In his series “Reimaging Potter,” Zack Buckner (Graphic Design, Portville, NY) has redesigned seven Harry Potter book covers to offer “a new and fresh perspective on iconic characters, locations and creatures.” Chandler Cotter (Photography, Buffalo, NY) spells her first name through product photography: Coca-Cola, Hair care, Apple, Nail polish, Denim, Liquor, Essential oils, and Rosé.
• With his functional stoneware pottery Jakob Cullen (Ceramics and Animation & Illustration, Warwick, NY) “aims to make the viewer reconsider their utilitarian perception of pottery” by focusing on unconventional shapes. Gallagher (Graphic Design, Glens Falls, NY) has designed motion graphics and creative résumés (cross stitch, comic prop gun, street sign) to emphasize that AI is no match for the skills of talented designers.
• Brianna Gasper’s (Graphic Design and Animation & Illustration, Cattaraugus, NY) “Hellenistic Tarot Deck” is a series of art cards that align with the standard Major and Minor Arcana parts of a tarot deck with the theme of Greek mythology — stories of the gods, heroes, and monsters of Ancient Greece. In their installation, titled “Don’t Die Wondering,” Adam Giel (Ceramics and Animation & Illustration, Ronkonkoma, NY) has created ceramic star people and placed them above a pile of men’s clothing and a pile of women’s clothing to address the struggles transgender people endure internally and societally to find a place in the world.
• Julia Gorman’s (Animation and Illustration, Schenectady, NY) illustrations represent visual development work, specifically four different video game concepts formatted in different ways, such as “cutscene” or gameplay concepts. Jonah Grace (Graphic Design and Animation & Illustration, Jamestown, NY) uses his graphic design skills to create the brand identity and promotional materials for a welcoming cat café with a focus on the welfare, socialization, and adoption of lesser-adopted cats.
• AJ Hanrahan’s (Visual Arts, Buffalo, NY) mixed media paintings explore human rights and political themes such as immigration policies, genocide, the rights of transgender individuals, and the western descent into fascism. Fashion meets education in a hypothetical line of dolls in which Madeleine Lasher (Animation and Illustration, Schenectady, NY) introduces an alternative fashion substyle.
• Warrior Cats “Into the Wild” includes two books covers, one for a younger audience and the other for adults, designed by Vanessa Lotito (Graphic Design, Nesconset, NY) along with posters that illustrate her creative process. In the series “Chromatic selves,” Samantha Mackey (Animation and Illustration, Dansville, NY) highlights her skill set and the versatility of makeup artistry in photographs of makeup looks on herself and volunteers, from Japanese Gyaru to experimental concepts.
• Blake Neville (Animation & Illustration and Graphic Design, Poughkeepsie, NY) typeset a reference book containing research about the bubonic plague and medieval times, designed the cover, and created illustrations to accompany the book. In the project titled “The Future of the Okavango Delta: Insight into a Fragile Ecosystem,” Piper Ridge’s (Graphic Design, San Diego, CA) book, posters and photographs about Botswana’s Okavango Delta focus on climate change, invasive species, and wildlife population decline.
• Ella Silivestro’s (Graphic Design, Rochester, NY) poster, pamphlet, and website showcase data from a survey of SUNY Fredonia students that is designed to assist women and people assigned female at birth. With an animatic trailer and concept art titled “The Day the Sun Fell,” Mel Vazquez Correa (Animation and Illustration, Toms River, NJ) channels the influence of Mesoamerican civilizations and delves into human kindness, personal identity, and the challenges of embracing change.

“Entirely Human” is supported by the Fredonia College Foundation’s Cathy and Jesse Marion Endowment Fund, and the Friends of Rockefeller Arts Center.

Gallery hours are Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 4 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.; Sunday noon to 4 p.m.; and by appointment.

For more information, contact gallery director Barbara Räcker at (716) 673-4897 or email barbara.racker@fredonia.edu.