BRISTOL, VA — An eclectic mix of forms, styles, colors, materials and themes, ranging from the beauty of horses to hope for recovery in earthquake-torn Haiti, inspired the graduating seniors of the art and photography departments at Virginia Intermont College.
• Jon Bailey of Elgin, Ill., was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in photography and digital imaging, another in art, with a concentration in painting, and an associate's in graphic design. He had two senior presentations � a series of portraiture photography, emphasizing a location that contrasted with yet complemented portrait models, and an array of art designs for T-shirts.
• Kate Baldwin, of Jefferson, N.C., also earned a Bachelor of Arts in photography and digital imaging. Her series of photographs illustrated "man's presence in the environment," demonstrating human anatomy that mimics nature and the artist's discovery that "all living things are connected."
• Michelle Call, of Marion, Va., earned a Bachelor of Science degree in pre-art therapy. Her entry was printmaking and centered on the intrigue of "structure versus fracture" in relation to homes, families and exposing mysteries behind abandoned structures. She found that "seemingly stable geometric forms can give in to life's harrowing pressures."
• Brian Coryell, a native of Virginia Beach, Va., graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in photography and digital imaging. His entry was a documentary series on the intense preparation leading up to the college theatre department's spring production, "Almost Maine."
• Sarah Coulter, of Sparta, Ill., received a Bachelor of Arts degree in photography and digital imaging. She presented a photography series from Pigeon Forge, Tenn., focusing on the commercialism of the tourism hub in the Great Smoky Mountains area, with colors and architecture clashing as much as the wares that sell in commerce.
• Gray McCurdy is from Rock Springs, Ga., and is earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in photography and digital imaging. Her photographs represented two passions � photography and equine studies, and used photography to express the grace, beauty and detail of horses.
• Shane Mullins, a Clintwood, Va., native, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in art and an associate's in graphic design. His entry, entitled "Muse," was a mixed media presentation of caricatures of famous musicians. "We are all born with a clean slate and then sculpted by our influences," said Mullins of the inspiration for his layering technique.
• Misty Zaebts of Bristol, Va., was awarded Bachelor of Arts degree in art. Expressing hope for help and recovery in Haiti, she presented a series of paintings in response to the devastating earthquake.