Vitruvian Women: Senior Honors Thesis Show

April 13th – April 27^th, 2023

Opening Reception Thursday April 13th  5-7pm

Sydney Austin

Michaela Conway

Amara D’Antuono

Patricia Jurkowski

The Dorrance H. Hamilton Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of the Art and Art History Department’s Senior Honors Thesis Show “Vitruvian Women” featuring graduating honors students Sydney Austin, Michaela Conway, Amara D’Antuono and Patricia Jurkowski. An opening reception with short artist talks is scheduled for Thursday April 13^th from 5 – 7pm.

Sydney Austin’s thesis project revolves around the development of her graphic novel, titled, The Phoenix of the South. Bringing the darkness to light, the primary theme that Austin shares in her art is mental health, specifically how people hide their true feelings for fear of being stigmatized.  Sydney connects with her audience by inserting her own struggles in her characters to tell people about what goes on inside her head.  Instead of rushing to finish the whole novel, she decided to produce a series of volumes so that her readers could grow alongside the characters.

Michaela Conway’s thesis project is an exploration of brand identity design that reflects her interests as a graphic designer. In creating the brand Florence, Conway drew inspiration from the Newport mansions on Salve Regina’s campus, allowing the intricate architectural details to accentuate the luxurious aesthetic of her clothing line. She first developed a brand identity, focused on translating the opulence of Ochre Court and the Vinland Estate into a fashion line and logo design. From there, she designed a fashion catalog, packaging, website, and a video campaign. Her installation in the Hamilton Gallery is a pop-up shop that allows for an immersive consumer experience for the viewer that projects the luxurious aesthetic of Florence.

As an artist, Amara D’Autuono enjoys working with many mediums such as graphic design, interactive media, and photography. Her thesis project is the perfect example of this combination. Her project is based around the comfort that one should feel in their own home. Using Revit and Enscape, she created hyper realistic 3-dimensional renderings to trick the eye into thinking that the spaces are real. She turned these renderings into a magazine entitled Jules, named after the interior designer of Ochre Court.

Patricia Jurkowski’s thesis work is a group of large figurative oil paintings.  The body of work centers on the relationship between the viewer and the figures. Jurkowski composed provocative images that first aim to shock the viewer, then garner further thought. The subjects are trapped behind the glass of viewership, destined to exist only as a spectacle in the memory of whoever gazes at them. They are unforgettable, yet easily judged on the surface. They are unexplainable upon initial sight yet force you to ponder why they exist. The second painting in the series, titled Painter and the Painted, forces those outside the painting to exist as part of the composition, connecting their gaze with the figures.

The Dorrance H. Hamilton Gallery is located in the Antone Academic Center on the campus of Salve Regina. It is handicap accessible with parking along Lawrence Avenue and Leroy Avenue. Its exhibits are open to the public Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 4 p.m. The gallery is closed on Mondays.