Tag: campus life

What Not to Miss: Senior Art Exhibitions

February 14–May 11, the North Park community has the exciting opportunity to attend original art exhibits featuring North Park’s very own senior art majors.

Interested in exploring local artistic talent but not sure where to start? February 14–May 11, the North Park community has the exciting opportunity to attend original art exhibits featuring North Park’s very own senior art majors. Every week the spotlight will shine on one senior’s solo art show. The exhibits are held in Carlson Gallery located in the Carlson Tower lobby. Closing their solo shows, each talented artist will hold a reception where they provide insight and lead discussion regarding their work.

The tradition of senior solo exhibitions is relatively new; until 2012, the senior shows were held as group exhibitions. According to Tim Lowly, gallery director and assistant professor of art, the shift from group to solo exhibitions gives seniors the opportunity of exhibiting more ambitious and expansive work—a challenge they’ve risen to year after year. Professor Lowly says, “It never ceases to amaze me to see the diversity of the work being produced by NPU art majors. This year is certainly indicative of that variety and creativity,” making this year’s senior art exhibitions a series of events you won’t want to miss.

2019 Senior Art Major Exhibitions

Ethan Oliver: February 14–21

Reception: February 21, 5–7 pm

“A display of antique phenomenon and nostalgia, Ethan has composed a compilation of fish and cigarettes strewn across grandma and grandpa’s house.”

Jessica Doering: February 21–28

Reception: February 28, 5–7 pm

“A nostalgic nosedive into the inner workings of a creative psyche. Bring your imagination.”

Samantha Gee: February 28–March 7

Reception: March 7, 5–7 pm

“Magic? Madness? Magicness.”

Lina Granberg: March 7–21

Reception: March 21, 5–7 pm

“As a curatorial studies art major, I am presenting an exhibition of work by two Chicago artists—Shannon Downey and Beverly Nash.”

Rebekah Law: March 21–28

Reception: March 28, 5–7 pm

“An abstracted study of the effects of trauma through monochromatic acrylic paintings of individuals.”

Michaela Scholte: March 28–April 4

Reception: March 29, 5–7 pm

“I want viewers to see how my paintings physically feel; I use paint to map texture and give an understanding of touch and implication of dimension.”

Mee-Joo Kong: April 4–11

Reception: April 5, 5–7pm

“Being real and true is a part of everyone’s humanity; showing that through film is one part of a unique identity.”

Arturo Valadez: April 11–18

Reception: April 18, 5–7pm

Maria Flores de Leon: April 18–25

Reception: April 25, 5–7pm

“Children’s day should be a day where kids are celebrated by their uniqueness, their interests, their personality and so much more!”

Amy Ryzewicz: April 25–May 2

Reception: May 2, 5–7 pm

“Nature is understood through science, replicated by artists and designers, and embellished upon by writers.”

Emmanuel Garfias: May 2–11

Reception: May 9, 5–7 pm

“My art consists of a coalition of familiar forms that hopefully lead the viewer to start foreshadowing.”

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Student-Run Vista Magazine Offers a Viewpoint, and Wants Yours, Too

A new campus magazine, created by Stephen Nielsen and Ricardo Huerta, gives students a voice on politics, religion, and culture.

Stephen Nielsen, Editor in Chief of Vista Magazine

North Park junior Stephen Nielsen saw a need for a campus publication that allowed students to freely express their opinion on politics, religion, and culture. So, he and a friend, Ricardo Huerta, started Vista Magazine.

“North Park is a very politically charged campus, and we wanted to create an outlet for students to express themselves,” said Nielsen, who, with Huerta, wanted to veer slightly from Spectrum, the existing, newsier student magazine.

“We didn’t see enough students participating in written dialogue,” Nielsen said.

A sampling of the magazine’s most recent issue seems to help address that: An article about gun reform shares space with a movie review of smash box office hit Black Panther by Ghanian student Frank Roberts; there is also a page devoted to students sharing their #METOO experiences.

The quarterly, which premiered this past winter and was followed by a recent spring edition, is currently in search of talented writers and designers for next year.

“Our goal is to show that North Parkers are thinkers from all walks of life,” said Nielsen, who encourages students to reach out to him if they’d like to join his staff or submit their original writing.

Nielsen and Huerta started the magazine from scratch, seeking approval and financing from the Student Government Association, then asking Dr. Reinhold Dooley if he would be their faculty advisor. The English professor and one-time North Park Press faculty advisor said yes immediately, and has mostly allowed the staff to be autonomous.

“If we need advice on an issue or about publishing something controversial, Dr. Dooley has been there to help guide us through the decision,” Nielsen said.

He and Huerta hope the magazine lives on after their graduation and even created a five-year business plan with the future in mind. Right now, the magazine needs to staff up for next year.

“The most important thing to know is that we exist to serve North Parkers,” Nielsen said. If you’re interested in being a part of his mission, visit vistamag.org.

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Taste of the Pacific: Honoring Traditions of Pacific Island Students

The second annual Taste of the Pacific event featured singing, dancing, and storytelling celebrating the heritage of North Park University’s Pacific Islander students.

More than 100 students and faculty members attended the second annual Taste of the Pacific event December 1, a festival featuring singing, dancing and storytelling that celebrated the heritage of North Park University’s Pacific Islander students.

“We are far away from home, but we have created a home here; we’re not a club, we’re a family,” said Rakiiba Va’alele, one of the founders of the Pacific Cultural Association, the group that put on the event.

The performances were designed to showcase the cultures of several Pacific Island nations, including Fiji, Hawaii, New Zealand, Tahiti and Samoa.

“God and family—in that order—is the way of Polynesian Culture,” said Michael Conway, the event’s honorary speaker and also NPU’s head football coach. Conway and his wife, Beth, NPU’s project manager for student engagement, are longtime supporters of the PCA. “I’m thankful for you all, and I’m thankful for these young people.”

Throughout the night, students used song and dance to tell stories of their island nations’ cultures. Performers dressed in traditional garb, changing each time the audience “traveled” along to another island.

According to founders Va’alele and Leautea Faiai, the PCA’s vision is to see the Pacific Islander Community at North Park connected, empowered, and cared for academically, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

The event was sponsored by the Office of Diversity and the Student Government Association. A portion of the proceeds from the $7 admission price went toward NPU’s tuition assistance fund for Pacific Islander students.

SGA Vice President, Anosh Wasker, said the event showcases the best of NPU.

“Events like these bring out what North Park stands for, which is being multi-cultural,” Wasker said at the end of the night. “They show their own culture, they preserve their own culture, but also help others experience their culture.”

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