Grove City College’s Department of Communication & Visual Arts (CVA) hosted its first annual CVA Celebration on April 28. The event was located in the Pew Fine Arts Center which allowed for an open-house style. Students of both the Communications and Arts Departments were given the opportunity to display their best works. The Celebration fostered a sense of community as students showcased their artwork and independent research to others of similar and differing majors.
Student projects differed from book designing and independent research to pasta packaging and novel writing. Bekah Fry, senior Communication and Visual Arts major with minors in Art and Internet Entrepreneurship, presented a book she designed on Misty Copeland. Nate Mucha, Professor of Design, required students to design a book on America’s top twenty most influential individuals. Copeland is most notably known as the first African American dancer to have a solo in the America Ballet Theater. Fry consulted Copeland’s website to gain her black, white, and gold color scheme. Debby Clymer, junior Communication and Visual Arts major with a minor in Biology, showcased her independent research entitled “The Harmony and Healing Project.” Upon visiting numerous nursing homes and witnessing the demoralizing effects of dementia, Clymer desires to raise awareness of the positive effects music therapy can have on this disease. “This study allowed me to see a glimpse of just how powerful a resource music can be for those with memory loss,” Clymer said. Clymer was inspired to conduct this research after she witnessed the powerful potential of music intervention in the documentary Alive Inside.
Nate Chanski, senior Marketing major with a concertation in Art, presented his pasta packaging. His brand Cucina, brings luxury to the pasta industry through a sleek black and white color scheme. Using a minimalist 3D design, Chanski aimed at creating a design that would grasp the customer’s attention through its sophisticated high-end Italian appearance. Grace Leuenberger presented a novel about her childhood entitled, “Twenty-Two: Essay on Growing Up.” As her senior year is coming to an end with graduation less than two weeks, Leuenberger was inspired to write a novel that reflects on the most memorable moments of her childhood. “I am inspired by writers I love, like Shauna Niequist and Marilynne Robinson who so effectively weave personal narrative into their writing” Leuenberger said. Through her boo
k she hopes to provide her readers with moments of clarity, hope, and joy. For students interested in purchasing “Twenty-Two,” contact Leuenberger via email.
This year’s CVA Celebration was a true success and has received much positive feedback. The Communications and Visual Arts Department looks forward to expanding the Celebration, making the event an annual gathering. Dr. Daniel Brown, professor of Communication and Visual Arts, anticipates that the CVA Celebration will leverage student interests and incorporate a larger audience within the coming years. Students interested in presenting next year can contact Dr. Jennifer Mobley, Chair Associate Professor of the Communication and Visual Arts Department, and Kathy Rhoades, Assistant Professor of Visual Arts and Director of the Art Gallery.
