IDENTIFI Senior Thesis Exhibition Explores Identity Through Art and Fashion

From December 8-12, the senior class of the Department of Fine & Performing Arts displayed their senior projects in the Gallery of Fine Art, focusing on the meaning of identity in an exhibition titled IDENTIFI. The IDENTIFI theme sparked the students to design art around “self” and their interpretation of the concept of identity. The exhibition culminated on Friday, December 12, with a reception at the Fine & Performing Arts Atrium, which included a final viewing of the exhibit, an artist talk, and a fashion show. 

The reception was planned and organized by Dr. Janelle B. Pryor, professor of visual culture and Gallery of Fine Art coordinator, with the support of faculty from the Department of Fine & Performing Arts. The graduating seniors majored in fine arts, or visual communication and digital media arts with concentrations in advertising design, animation and motion graphics, digital cinema and time-based media, digital media arts, and fashion.  

The work represented personal and socially engaged perspectives on culture, heritage, technology, mental health and community narratives. The exhibition featured installation, mixed media, painting, fashion design, film, animation, digital media and graphic design. The students' art highlighted experimentation and innovative creative practice, displaying the scholarly and artistic development of their time while in their programs. During the reception, the student artists sat on a panel and were able to share with the audience their ideas, what identity means and their plans for the future. 

Tewodross M. Williams, chair of the Department of Fine & Performing Arts, moderated the artist talk panel and gathered from the student artists what inspired their ideas for their projects. Following the panel, he beamed with excitement about the next paths of the students and stated, “They’ve been on this journey as we call it, and I’m really excited to see what they do next.” He went on to say, “Some of the students have even taken their thesis project beyond Bowie State and are thinking of entrepreneurship. Just a great range of work, I’m really proud of this class.” 

The student artists detailed and elaborated on the personal experiences that prompted their creativity. Autumn Skye, a senior fine arts major, designed interactive pieces that highlighted first-impression bias. “I wanted people to take away how they make judgments about others based on their faces and backgrounds.”  Andreas Brown, a senior visual communications and digital media arts major, focused his project on cool. “It’s framed as a fashion label, but in reality it’s an exploration on the concept of cool.” He explained further, “The biggest message for the brain is that coolness is ubiquitous, subjective and that inclusivity allows everybody to feel comfortable.” Andreas also designed the logo for the IDENTIFI event, multi-colored fingerprints, signifying the uniqueness of the artists and the impression they make in the world. 

To hear more student reflections on their art, please visit the SoundCloud link here. 

Dr. Janelle B. Pryor praised the students for their vision, hard work, and dedication to honing their craft. 

“The highlight of the event for me was the student artist talk,” Pryor said. “It is always great to hear students share what inspired their senior projects and the challenges they overcame to achieve this significant milestone in their journey. I am proud of them and what they accomplished this semester.” 

The Bowie State University Department of Fine Arts & Performing Arts department strives to push their students towards creativity and providing students with a foundation in bold creativity. The faculty focuses on building talent to create, connect, and inspire students.