Fine Arts

B.F.A. and B.A. Senior Art Exhibitions in Painting

Mattie Wesoloski {B.F.A. in Painting with a minor in Art History and Psychology} and Hal Webster {B.A. in Painting with a minor in Art History and Theater} | April 6–13, 2021

Open gallery

Mattie Wesoloski, Hydra-huahua (detail), Oil on panel, 30 in. x 20 in., 2020.
Mattie Wesoloski, Hydra-huahua (detail), Oil on panel, 30 in. x 20 in., 2020.

Virtual Artist Talk Recording to be posted soon! Thank you for you patience!

Please make an appointment using this Google Calendar Appointment System. Masks are required, no gaiters or bandanas please. Thank you!

The Sarofim School of Fine Arts Gallery is open by appointment and in person. Guests are limited to groups of 5. Guests must be current Southwestern University staff, faculty, or students. Please arrange for a current member of the Southwestern University community to schedule a virtual visit with RingCentral Meetings! (daultons@southwestern.edu)

Virtual Artist Talk: April 7, 2021 from 6 – 7:30pm

Watch a recording of Summer Elliott’s, Mattie Wesoloski’s and Hal Webster’s Virtual Artist Lectures via Youtube here.

Mattie Wesoloski’s oil paintings in the art exhibition Unleashed respond to the growing correlation between cultural disruptions, like the current global pandemic, and increased numbers in dog adoptions by exposing viewers to the peculiar world of pets. Through intricate dog portraits and vibrant paintings of toy balls, she poses questions regarding pet culture, the multifaceted roles of dogs, sentimentality in art and psychological connections between dogs and their owners.  Her works position viewers between the cute and grotesque, equally attracting and repelling viewers through enticing color, expressive subjects and meticulous detail.

Instagram: @mattie_wesoloski_art

Hal Webster’s art exhibit “Schema Stigmata” examines the concepts of self-perception, personal crisis, and the implications of the societal norm. Through a series of abstracted and literal self portraits, Webster investigates so-called mental “disorders” to explore what it means to live outside of the prescribed experience. In this series, the act of scraping and carving layers of built-up oil pastels serves as a catalyst for creating the images, revealing unexpected colors as a metaphor for inflicting harm, like scars that pay homage to the particular conditions they are meant to depict- a haunting landscape of color and depth that invites the viewer into a world of intrigue and mystery.
Instagram: @artdesanguir (J. M. Hal Webster)