Creative freedom

Lin Wang calls her paintings "fantasy stuff." Sometimes they're the stuff of her dreams, sometimes inspired by her childhood. Her grandmother's house is prominent in one. Wang usually paints texture onto the canvas first. "Then I will see if it looks like something," she said. "Maybe people or flowers."

Creative freedom was an essential part of her experience in 2 1/2 years at Southeast Missouri State University, the Chinese exchange student said. "Here it's really free. You can paint what you want to paint. Nobody can control my mind."

Her work and that of seven other seniors graduating in December will go on display Friday in the BFA Graduating Seniors Exhibit. The show at the River Campus Art Gallery in the Seminary Building continues through Dec. 15. The opening reception will be from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday.

The exhibition is composed entirely of paintings and graphic arts. Two of the graphic artists, St. Louisans Adam Schneider and Stephanie Terry, took completely different approaches to their projects. Schneider designed posters and CD art for The Magic Numbers, an obscure British band that has yet to release its first CD. Schneider is ready when The Magic Numbers are.

Because the band's songwriting influences are artists like Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and the Mamas & the Papas, Schneider gave the vinyl version of the album a fine-grained cover like a keepsake and used faded type on the posters.

CD cover by Adam Schneider ("The Magic Numbers Archive")

All of this was accomplished using Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign computer programs. He said he is naturally attracted to this kind of art. "Working in Photoshop is different from the traditional arts major," Schneider said. "I like the idea of producing work for more than one person."

Red Letter Communications in Cape Girardeau has offered him a job after graduation.

In her senior project Terry designed Terrypants, a line of T-shirts and pants complete with posters and a commercial that will be shown on a flat-screen TV in the gallery. The designs on the clothing were made with heat transfers.

"It's an off-the-wall idea that reflects my personality," Terry said.

An internship last summer at an ad agency "made me realize what I really want to do," she said. She is job-hunting.

Oil by Carol Kuehnle ("Stare Down")

This is the first show for both Schneider and Terry. Wang had a solo show at Grace Cafe in Cape Girardeau in October. She hopes to go on to graduate school, perhaps at Washington University or NYU.

Dylan Collins, the gallery director, said the exhibit is a chance to see the work of a talented group of artists before they go out into the professional world. "It's remarkable as a teacher to see their growth as they develop into young artists," he said.