Each year, all Longwood visual arts majors create a senior professional project that often forms the core of what will become their professional portfolio. Longwood Center for the Visual Arts has the privilege of presenting these culminating works. “Point of Departure: Longwood University Department of Theatre, Art, and Graphic and Animation Design 2016 Senior Exhibition” celebrates the beginning of the next stage of their life journey, the time they have spent at Longwood, and their growth as individuals, artists and citizen leaders.

“I’m very excited to be in the show. It’s great to see my work on display in an actual museum,” said Rowan Davis, Longwood photography major and gallery attendant at LCVA. “I’m also both happy and sad to complete my time here at Longwood after a lot of hard work and good memories.” Carson Reeher, another graduating senior, can’t wait for the opening reception next week and is excited about the path ahead of her. “I’m very flattered to have the chance to be a part of ‘Point of Departure.’ The LCVA always does a great job helping the students put it together. I feel comfortable graduating and applying to art shows outside of Farmville, outside of Virginia, or even outside of the country.”

In addition to having their work professionally displayed, the exhibition also presents a unique opportunity to students majoring in graphic design as it gives them the chance to create the promotional material for the exhibition. “It was truly a great experience designing the materials for the 2016 Senior Exhibition,” said Landon Cooper, who worked with Jason Ware in designing the postcards and posters for “Point of Departure” through a program at Longwood called Design Lab; an intensive class used by Longwood’s Graphic and Animation Design department to prepare students for real-world design jobs. “Being a senior, I had to take several elements into account, one of which being the idea of possibilities after the college experience. I went off of the idea that graduation doesn’t have to be daunting, it can be a path to bigger and better things.”

Participating artists include: Holli Adams, Mollie Andrews, Stephanie Bailey, Karyn Barb, James Bates, Emma Beckett, Jessica Billings, Zane Bolen, Cameron Burns, Melissa Cacho, Pesu Cadmus, Sarah Charlton, Bianca Cherry, Raven Collins, Landon Cooper, Rowan Davis, Wietske Delano, Brittany Delbridge, Brooke Eamigh, Jamie Gibbs, Amanda Herring, Morgan Huber, Tiffani Jefferies, Justin Johnson, Rachel Joyce, Laura Kahler, Mary Kyle, James Laycock, Carley Lucas, Rhiannan Mayfield, Amelia McConnell, Kelly McGrath, Amanda Mixner, Hope Morgan, Deepti Nair, Dallas Price, Carson Reeher, Kathryn Seidl, Hunt Singleton, Marlisha Stewart, Kyle Transue, and Maria Wheaton.

“Point of Departure” is on view April 16–May 11, with an opening reception with the artists on April 16 from 5–8pm.

“Point of Departure” is made possible in part by Longwood University’s Cook-Cole College of Arts and Sciences.