Five graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts-Design degree students will showcase their creative research next week in an exhibition at Missouri Southern State University’s Spiva Art Gallery.
The exhibit will feature works by Adrian Broadus, Bentonville, Ark.; Brianna Curtis, Joplin; Apollo Kiest, Protem, Mo; Mauricio Luna, Joplin; and Curtis Rector, Wyandotte, Okla.
The exhibit – which will open Monday, May 2, and continue through Friday, May 6 – will showcase their design work along with a written thesis, designer statement and a portfolio of their work as part of their capstone graduation requirements.
Adrian Broadus balanced the demands of both being a design major and a student athlete (triple jumper for the track and field team). “My family is a big part of why I design,” he says. “What my design signifies is art with a purpose.”
Brianna Curtis continues to be inspired by the urban expression of abstract art, including the complex and dramatic forms of graffiti and brings elements of this into her digital designs.
Apollo Kiest has served as a residential assistant in the Missouri Southern dorms and was an active member in the former Focal Point student group. Along with the BFA-Design Degree, they will also earn a Certificate of Illustration.
Mauricio Luna has been a member of the MSSU American Institute of Graphic Arts student group and an honor student at the National Society of Leadership and Success. “In design I am able to compress ideas or emotions into a design and it is a creative process that I relish,” he says.
Curtis Rector started his studies later in life as a non-traditional student, taking a class or two a semester while working a full-time job. He earned the Certificate of Illustration in 2021. “No matter what I create, whether it is illustrations or design, I believe the viewer is the most important part of what I do,” he says. “The piece should make sense to the viewer without a lot of explanation.”
The Spiva Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. Admissions is free and open to the public.