An annual tradition, the senior art exhibition is notable for its eclectic mix of artistic media and pieces. Because of the volume and complexity of the student artwork, the exhibition will be held in two different stages. The second phase of the exhibit, featuring the works of five more senior artists, will be on display April 16 through May 2.

Featured in the first phase of the exhibition will be art by Joanna Martorelli of Schaumburg, Cassie Tangney of Decatur, Wenshu Xie of China and Rachel Mitchell and Megan Mullen, both of Chicago.

Mitchell, a double major in art and business administration, will display two paintings in the exhibit. The first, an oil on canvas, is a self-portrait in warm, rich colors, which has to do with "self-discovery," she said, adding, " I personally think it is quite realistic, but some of my friends say that I look sad or angry. But it’s just the serious me."

The second painting is of two of her childhood friends from Chicago. It is a painting, she said, that is quite descriptive of their personalities. In addition to the paintings, Mitchell will also display some ceramic teapots she has created.

Mitchell was recently accepted into the arts administration graduate program at Indiana University, where she will pursue a master’s degree.

"Although my long-term goal is to someday have my own gallery, right now I just want to be as involved in the arts as I can," she said. "There is no other option."

Mullen, an art major and business minor, will also feature some of her oil paintings as well as some pencil drawings. She said much of her art "represents some of the personal struggles I’ve had the last four years that I’ve gone through – things like family deaths, growing up and changing."

An example of her work is an oil painting of a fraying rope. "This is a symbolic representation of my being pulled in different directions and having to deal with a lot of things going on that push me to my limitations," she said. "My art is a way of dealing with it."

Mullen attended the Associated Colleges of the Midwest Florence (Italy) Program where she took, among other classes, a figure drawing class and studied the technique of "sight sizing."

Upon graduation, she said she would like to use her art training in a career in advertising, perhaps as an art director in the design of covers for books. Her long-term goal is similar to Mitchell’s – to one day have her own gallery.

Martorelli, a double major in art and psychology, will also exhibit some of her oil paintings. She studied abroad for a semester in Greece and said she is "passionate" about her paintings that have travel as their themes. In one of her works, Martorelli incorporated geometric and swirling techniques for a colorful representation of a church in Santorini, Greece.

Martorelli said she is exploring the possibility of graduate school, where she hopes to study art therapy so she can work with children from troubled backgrounds.

Another double major, Tangney’s contribution to the exhibition will be her creations in computer graphic design. Working primarily with Adobe software products, she will display a variety of digital prints and what she calls "conceptual pieces."

One of the pieces involves a series of 50 digital images she has photographed of people in the MC community. By way of computer manipulation, she has put each person in a frame and then arranged the entire grouping into a "wall unit." Each of the individual images has been altered to include black bars that cover various parts of the subjects’ anatomy. The theme of the piece, she said, is a commentary on individualism.

"The message is about not being a number. It’s about being an individual," said Tangney, who is majoring in art and public relations.

Tangney, too, is looking at graduate school with a goal of studying for an M.F.A. degree. "Right now, I’m just interested in getting into the work force…something in graphic design or working for a marketing firm."

The final senior artist featured in the exhibition is Xie, who came to MC from China. Her artwork will include various oil and watercolor paintings of flower arrangements.

Xie also has her sights set on graduate school, where her goal is to study architecture. "Since I was quite little, I have been interested in architecture. I’ve always thought I could combine my passions for art and math and become an architect."

The Everett Gallery is open during regular library hours: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to midnight; Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to midnight.