New Bradley Gallery show spotlights senior art major
The artwork of Lakeland University senior Alyssa Gabrielse will be in the spotlight at the next LU Bradley Gallery exhibit.
An opening reception will be held on Friday, Feb. 14, at 4:30 p.m. in the Bradley Fine Arts Building on the Lakeland campus. The show will run through March 18. Attendance at the reception and admittance to the Bradley Gallery are both free and open to the public.
The Bradley Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, when Lakeland is in session.
Gabrielse, who is seeking a double major in graphic design and studio art, came to Lakeland with little art experience. She was introduced to Lakeland by taking dual credit classes while she was a senior at George D. Warriner High School in Sheboygan, Wis. A declared studio art major, she later decided to add a graphic design major.
“It was truly difficult to learn how to juggle having to learn skills for both majors, but equipping both has helped me grow not only as a person, but as an artist,” she said.
Gabrielse lists oil paint and soft pastels as her favorite media in which to work.
“During my studio art career at Lakeland, I have formulated a color scheme that represents me,” she said. “Mustard, burnt orange, brown and olive greens are just some of the colors I resonate with. I typically strive for a mid-century color palette because I enjoy the style of that era of furniture, clothing, and cars.
“The pieces I enjoy creating the most have many textural elements to please the viewer’s eyes. I incorporate my studio side into my graphic design work because it pushes me to be creative with designing.”
She currently works as a graphic design intern at Lakeland, where she has worked on a variety of projects, including designing a 22-chapter book about Abraham Lincoln for the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center. She has also been a graphic design tutor for other Lakeland students.
Gabrielse’s work won second place and honorable mention awards last May in Lakeland’s annual Student Art Exhibition, and she won honorable mention awards in both the 2017 and 2018 shows. She has also earned a spot each semester on the Dean’s List for her consistently strong academic performance.
Outside of Lakeland, she has worked at TJ Maxx as a merchandise coordinator and currently as assistant merchandise manager.
Gabrielse plans to move to a big city or state to explore the endless possibilities with art and design. A future goal is owning her own art gallery that offers graphic design services to help upcoming artists market themselves.
