Interior Designers play a dramatic role in the life of not only room decorating but the entire design of a building, from picking out fabrics, chairs, curtains, rugs, accessories and other major design aspects.

Major aspects reflect the purpose of the building in which they are being designed.

The Interior Design show opens on Wednesday, May 1, and features the thesis works of graduating seniors.

The exhibit highlights the final projects under the study of Kathy Weidenboerner, the interior design department chair.

The theme for the exhibit is Salvation by Imagination, which is taken from a quote by Frank Lloyd Wright: “An Idea is Salvation by Imagination.”

With this theme in mind, the imaginative minds worked all year to design and present their concepts for the installment.

“These projects are the culmination of a year-long research and design effort of the students,” said Weidenboerner. “It appeared that this year the projects were inspired by a social problem of our times.”

Senior Aimee Plante used studies of the overuse of pain medication in the United States to express her abilities in her thesis work to create an interior design for a therapy establishment.

“For my project, I decided to design a physical therapy facility that incorporates elements from the natural environment to aid in pain management through the therapy process,” Plante said.

The exhibit expresses design solutions that benefit a community in different ways, thus creating quality and visually interesting aspects of interior design.

Other projects include full designs for buildings that are useful for people of all ages such as: rec centers, wineries, nightclubs, fire stations, green houses and other various designs.

“I think we all hoped to express through our senior projects how interior design, when done properly, benefits people in positive ways,” Plante said.

The senior Interior Design Show is in being held in the Cummings Art Gallery beginning on Wednesday, May 1, and extends until Tuesday, May 21.

The opening reception is on Thursday, May 2, from 7-9 p.m.

The Cummings Art Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 2-5 p.m.

For more information, contact Kathy Weidenboerner at (814)-824-2368, or the Cummings Art Gallery at (814)-824-2092.