From April 11 to 14, Stevens’s Visual Arts and Technology (VAT) major held its 2024 Senior Capstone Exhibition at Mana Contemporary in Jersey City. The event, which was hosted with support from the Monira Foundation, gave graduating seniors a chance to showcase senior capstone pieces, the culmination of two semesters of research and work. This year’s presenting artists were seniors Daphne Ang-Kalkanis, James Barra, Sierra Doss, Ashwin Ghera, Steve Huashuayo, Isabelle Hunt, Geordan LaManna, Sydney Linford, Timothy Paczesniak, and Anya Speck-McMorris.
This year’s theme “Motus Mentis,” Latin for “movement of the mind,” was chosen by the senior students after investigating commonalities their projects had. The featured projects covered many topics, ranging from grief to mental health, in both digital and physical media, including short films and animations, video games, virtual reality (VR) experiences, installations, and more.
Presenting senior artists are responsible not only for creating their projects but for all the elements of installation and publicity that go into creating an exhibition, including press releases, theme consideration, and setup.
“One thing students have to learn in the process of creating an exhibition is that even though they’re working on their individual artwork, it is a collaborative effort,” VAT Capstone Advisor and Professor Allyson Packer commented on the process. “I think they did a good job at negotiating with each other and finding the right space and context for everybody’s work.”
Motus Mentis’s opening ceremony was a success. This year’s capstone projects, as well as previous years, can be viewed at visualartandtech.net.
