Two new exhibitions featuring the work of 17 emerging artists will be on view at the Museum of Art beginning April 17. The exhibitions include a wide variety of creative work by UNH students in painting, ceramics, photography, drawing, woodworking, and printmaking. (Continued below)

The 2010 Senior B.A. and B.F.A. Exhibition features works by seven candidates for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, who draw upon their own experiences and interests to develop a strong body of work to showcase in this annual exhibition. Through both abstract and representational means, they examine the visual relationships between light, shape, texture, and color. Their works encompass a range of subject matter, from still-life and the human figure, to interior spaces and landscapes. Drawn from direct observation or the imagination, these works reflect each artist’s vision, style, and technique. 

Bachelor of Fine Arts degree candidates include: Cara Cabral, Manchester, (painting); Grace Cunniff, Derry, (painting); Finnian Donovan, Bethel, ME,(woodworking); Maggie Green, Durham, (painting); Julie Hamel, Loudon, (photography); Michael Mackail, Portsmouth, (painting); and Alyssa Ribitzki, Hampton, (painting).Cara Cabral’s energetic gouache paintings are studies in psychological obstacles, where frenetic environments are abstractly expressed through color and shape, while Grace Cunniff’s self-portraits utilize symbolic elements to present journal-like reflections of her personal psychological state. Finnian Donovan’s work draws from the construction techniques of furniture craftsmanship to create three dimensional pieces that are completely abstracted, resulting in a successful merger of traditional aesthetics and modern simplicity. Maggie Green’s energetic paintings represent an exploration of the relationships between color, form, space, and pattern. Julie Hamel’s photographs are pensive studies of the complex relationship between the model, their surrounding environment, and the viewer. Michael Mackail’s textured paintings express his affinity for simple objects, abstractly explored through shape, color, and brush stroke. Alyssa Ribitzki uses personal objects to create beautifully detailed still life compositions that reflect calm, tranquil environments.  

Bachelor of Arts degree candidates from the University of New Hampshire’s Art and Art History Department, whose work will also be on view, include Megan K. Breen, Durham; E.A. Cole, Newmarket; Andrew Fox, Durham; Karrah Kwasnik, Durham; Chelsea Ricciardi, Durham; Jennifer Smith, Portsmouth; and Samantha Withers, Amherst.

2010 M.F.A. Thesis Exhibition

A more intensive artistic exploration can be viewed in the concurrent exhibition showcasing the works of graduate students in the Master of Fine Arts degree program in painting. The 2010 M.F.A. Thesis Exhibition features the work of M.F.A. candidates Suzanne Dittenber, Dustin O’Hara, and Alan Rushing. 

Suzanne Dittenber’s paintings focus on figures in interior spaces, exploring the interpersonal relationships between human beings as well as with the objects found in the surrounding environment. She delves into the figure’s innermost sense of belonging in their personal space, expressing their vacillation between impulses of human emotion - security and restlessness, uncertainty and determination. Landscape painter and colorist Dustin O’Hara finds inspiration in the seasonal changes of New Hampshire, exploring the relationship between the changing light and shadow, warm and cool colors, open and deep space. He explores the shifting terrain of the environment, capturing a specific moment of light and time, drawing the viewer in to share in the out-of-doors experience. Alan Rushing, as a figurative artist, observes the human condition: noting the moments in which one human’s actions and interactions impact the world around them, leaving a sometimes lasting, sometimes fleeting, impression.

The 2010 Senior B.A. & B.F.A. Exhibition and the 2010 M.F.A. Thesis Exhibition are funded in part by the Friends of the Museum of Art and the Department of Art and Art History. The 2010 M.F.A. Thesis Exhibition is funded in part by the Department of Art and Art History, UNH.  

The Museum of Art is open during the academic year: Monday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 1-5 p.m.; closed Fridays and University holidays. Special hours on Friday May 21 are from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.