Senior art student to show work in Gilson Memorial Gallery

Piece by Jenn Petronella

A mixed media collage by senior art student Jenn Petronella. Petronella's senior show will go up in the Gilson memorial gallery on Monday.

The work of senior art student, Jenn Petronella will be up in the Gilson Memorial Gallery starting Monday. The show will consist of some of her favorite works created at Emporia State and a few new works.

“My favorite part of the art program at ESU is the size and informality of the department,” Petronella said. “It’s great to be able to communicate with your professors on a one-on-one level and really feel that they’re invested in your progress.”

The majority of her new works are oil paintings, a medium she’s just recently picked up.

“I like creating art in many mediums,” Petronella said. “I’ve been experimenting with oils now just for the novelty of a new material.”

Petronella is an art education major, this allows her to approach her work differently than other artists.

“Being more of a teacher than an artist, I usually just hope to accomplish a feeling of self fulfillment with my work,” Petronella said. “Now, I don’t have to sell it, I don’t have to please a professor or pass a class. I just get the privilege of pleasing my self, or even just creating something to get it out of my system, like creating a painting that has copious amounts of glitter in it and around it.

Petronella recently spent time in Shawnee to student teach and found that she missed Emporia State more than she thought she would.

“I think that my skill has grown more in the two years I was in the art department here than any other time or place in my life,” Petronella said. “I didn’t think I would happen, but after I moved back to Shawnee for student teaching, I realized I missed King Hall as much as I missed my home when I was in Emporia.”

When asked what inspires her work, Petronella responded, “I supposed a lot of the time it’s inspiration from other artists,” Petronella said. “I see a wonderful work of art and think ‘Damn, I wish I could be that great!’ So if practice is key and if I want to be that great, I’d better get my supplies together and practice. Artists like Audrey Kawasaki and Stella Im Hultberg are great inspirations for me.”

Petronella chose “Contrived” as the title for her show, and felt it best reflected the body of work she’s putting on display.

“It’s a comment that I hear from time to time about my works,” Petronella said. “That they are ‘contrived’ and I supposed that the commenter usually means that they lack spontaneity and an honest movement from the heart. That they’re forced. However, contrived also means well planned or strategic, and so I though it could be an appropriate title in both senses. Not always a negative word, unfortunately, it’s sometimes taken that way.”

As graduation approaches, Petronella feels that teaching allow her to balance creating her own work and helping others create their own.

“One of the bonuses of being a teacher is having time and opportunities work on my own art,” Petronella said. “I get to help others while helping myself.”

“Contrived” will be up from March 17 to March 29 in the Gilson Gallery located on the first floor of King Hall and Petronella will be hosting a reception for her show on March 24 at 7 p.m.