fine art
Congratulations!
During your education at Park University in these challenging years, you have each demonstrated great creativity and resilience. These invaluable qualities will serve you well in whatever you decide to pursue. It is now time to celebrate your all of your accomplishments and look toward your amazing futures. We wish you all the best, and we know that the best is yet to come!
Michalski, Elaina. MFA.
Program Coordinator
Art & Design Faculty
fine art Program Highlights
While pursuing either the Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art degree or the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fine Art degree, you may select from one of the following areas of concentration: photography, painting, drawing, fiber or ceramics. You may also choose to pursue internships, independent study, and special topics in art and design. Our fine art degree programs can help equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a career in fine art, in a museum or gallery setting, and other fields in which fine art is valued.
MEET OUR SENIORS
KIERRA TAYLOR, BA.
Kansas City, MO. USA.
ARTIST STATEMENT
There exists a quote that I’ve closely related to over the course of my senior year. “We might be the master of our own thoughts, still we are the slaves of our own emotions.” The spectrum of emotions I got to experience first-hand in such a small span of time that passed so quickly but felt so long that I feel aged, was quite overwhelming yet inspiring. I decided to make use of these emotions I’ve experienced this year in my art portfolio, and used the combination of color and symbolism to portray the various emotions as how I felt them physically.
I wanted to capture the beautiful contrast of the emotions I had experienced, and depict just how one emotion morphed and changed to another. I choose to focus on the following 6 emotions: Sorrow, Confliction, Rage, Joy, Peace, and Growth.
CHARLIE PIERCE, BFA.
Kansas City, MO. USA.
RUSHINE RAYMOND, BFA.
Jamaica. W.I
ARTIST STATEMENT
For you to understand the artist I am now, I feel like it would be better to know my past journey of how I got to this point. Growing up in Jamaica, I was never allowed to express or pursue the arts any further than I already have. Art was something that was not deemed a real job but more of a hobby. My mom was the artist of the family, she was one that saw that I had a real interest in Art and helped me hone my skills. There are so many medias for Art, so why only stick to one. I never understood why “a jack of all trades” was considered to be a bad thing, that is until I read the full quote.
My whole theory on art is about understanding the method of creation, whether it's through paint, clay, or charcoal. For me the desire to create is driven by the passion to make a change in society, to disrupt. My fulfillment in Art comes from the process of creating it, not the finished work, that's for those who seek to inspire. The body of works presented at this Gallery represents parts of who I am, with the understanding of change. This is Finding me.
KAYLEY TOLLE, BFA.
Kansas City, MO. USA.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Like the result of a dice roll in Dungeons and Dragons, anything can happen. Art is the same way. We can end up portraits, full body pieces or even studies of items that intrigue our eyes and mind. In both ideas, we create stories, and sometimes, those things can work in tandem. Art and Dungeons and Dragons can come together and form a body of work and a story to tell. This is exactly what happened in my case. I want to show what I love about the two things I’m very passionate about and show them together. Art has always been a home to me, and Dungeons and Dragons became another to me.
Through these ideas, I became an artist who worked in many new ways. Developing characters and the backgrounds they dwell in is something I enjoy so much, and the designing just feels right. My creativity spawns from things I love, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m so thankful to be entangled in D&D and art. Illustration and character design is the best possible way to bring my dreams to reality and I’m thankful to be allowed to live through this passion.
My name is Kayley Tolle, I go by she/they pronouns, I work mainly digitally but also work in posca pens and gouache, character design and D&D are my passions and what my portfolio mainly consists of through an illustrative style.
TYSON JOHNSON, BFA.
Kansas City, MO. USA.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Back in 2020, I was stumped; struggling with not only my style, but my identity. When I think back, it was very cloudy. And I mean that figuratively and literally. Cloudy skies and thoughts. But I learned to distinguish this insecurity as just an event in my art journey. This was the first piece I genuinely got lost in, and after this, the ideas keep flowing.
I’m still maintaining the childhood in my art. And I’m still getting lost in the process. I’ve been doing art since before my pubescents. It’s my one true love, romance for eternity.
MAY 07, 2022 | PARK UNIVERSITY GRADUATION | JOIN US
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MAY 07, 2022 | PARK UNIVERSITY GRADUATION | JOIN US |
faculty
Elaina Michalski, MFA, P.C.
Assistant Professor of Fine Arts
Program Coordinator
Art & Design Faculty
Andrea K. Lee. PHD, MFA.
Assistant Professor of Fine Arts
Director, Campanella Gallery
Art & Design Faculty