Salina Bowe photo: “The One and The All” senior art student thesis will be displayed in the Cummings Art Gallery in the Performing Arts Center through April 27 with a gallery reception on Saturday, April 5.

Mercyhurst University seniors showcase their final art projects through different mediums in the senior thesis art exhibition in Cummings Gallery from March 31 through April 27.

On Saturday, April 5, from 2-4 p.m., the artists will be honored at a reception. The Cummings Art Gallery is located in the lobby of the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center (PAC).

The name of the exhibition is “The One and The All.” A name that according to senior student, Rodolfo Claros, was one of the hardest things to choose because their work was quite different, but in the end it all revolved around life and culture. After many suggestions, senior student, Jen Ditchon’s suggestion was the one that got the popular vote.

The show is the capstone project for art majors. Even though the class is required for Studio Art Majors, anyone from the Art Department can take the class. Those majors are graphic design, art education and art therapy.

According to Claros, the nine students of the class got together every Sunday to talk about the theme of their work, their progress, and basic things about the show, like the post card, name, etc.

The artists that will be showcasing their work are Emily Belfiore, Rodolfo Claros, Jennifer Detchon, Caitlin Ewing, Rose Heid, Victoria Knight, Muna Nehme, Megan O’Polka and Shelby Yukevich.

“Reading and painting are two of the fundamental pillars of escapism, it is through literature that I have been immersed in universes that go far beyond the real world and through painting that I express these experiences,” said Nehme.

“It is thus that I have created a series of paintings based on J.M. Barrie’s novel, Peter Pan. This series conveys melancholy in its very approach, as well as product. It tells the story of a child through the unwilling eyes of an adult in the making.”

Nehme added, “I was really excited to see everyone’s work is vastly different and it’s great to see how it all interacts in the same exhibit.”

“I enjoyed the experience of getting to do something I love everyday, which is creating ceramics, and that I loved that I could teach myself through trial and error and fuel my passion for art even more,” Belfiore said.

“Come to the Cummings Art Gallery at Mercyhurst University and enjoy the work of our select Art Department Seniors. There will be free beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres,” Claros said.

The show is free and open to the public weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from 2-5 p.m. For more information, call 814-824-2092 or visit miac.mercyhurst.edu.