Kyle Compton-Burch

"My series of work was inspired by the natural world and the wonderfully weird creatures that live in it. I exaggerated this weirdness by giving these "animals" mask-like faces, multiple sets of eyes, and other extra features to create an eclectic and colorful series that cannot be classified as "traditional Western art." As an artist, I approach my work with a philosophy of "play before work," meaning I try to throw out all expectations for myself and simply create a work of art that both I and the viewer can enjoy.

My hope is that the viewer will take the time to pause and reflect on the declining state of our natural world and the ever-increasing number of endangered species that very well may disappear completely during my lifetime, only to be found in history books and soon-to-be old photographs."
 

August Etzel

"My recent work relates to the concept of relaxing into darkness. 

They embrace vulnerability during moments when the future cannot be imagined. The inspiration stems from my experience in seeking the best relationship I can have with my physical form and those of the transgender people in my life. 

I use exaggerated and bent human forms to highlight the joy and strangeness inherent in the relationships we have with our bodies. The figures are not intended to be beautiful, rather they convey sensations and emotions resulting from existing in a body. The mood ranges from neutral to celebratory in spite of negativity. I aim to capture quiet enjoyment and challenge our necessity for normalcy. 

My work encourages all viewers, cisgender and transgender, to find gratitude for their bodies and question external influences." 
 

Timothy Glover

"My installation is a collection of various oil paintings that were made over the course of several months. Many depict still-life objects, predominantly bottles and jars, while others focus on abstract shapes. The white lines between shapes originally came from a place of perfectionism, as I didn't want to unintentionally mix colors together. I was concerned that having the edges touch would cause colors to bleed into each other, resulting in messy paintings. However, from this came a new style of painting for me that I fully leaned into as time went on, allowing the unpainted white lines to play a part in the work itself while helping the colors and scenery stand out. I use my perfectionism to my advantage, redefining my painting style."

Aubree Guilbault

"As an interdisciplinary artist and photographer, my work stems from a love of connecting with others and looking back to older processes of photography. This installation is an interactive experience inspired by spirit photography and parapsychology, the study of psychic and paranormal phenomena, created with the software TouchDesigner and a motion sensor. In this experience, I invite the audience to step in and be the unexplainable force, inviting them to move the floating orbs and interact with the installation becoming the phenomena."