For the last 25 years, BYU-Idaho’s Department of Art has graduated artists who have gone on to create amazing things. From photography to paintings, illustrations to filmmaking, ceramics to mixed media, more than 70 pieces are on display in the Spori Art Gallery’s new exhibit, “25 Years of Alumni Art: Legacy in Color.”
“It’s an honor,” said ceramicist Scott Rivers who graduated from BYU-Idaho in 2015. “When I got the email, it made me so happy and excited that I was asked to participate in this because my time at BYU-Idaho was absolutely wonderful and transformative.”
Pauline “Muffin” Grayson is a graphic designer who has made a name for herself with her hand lettering, greeting cards and other designs. Her designs are found on Shutterfly.com, at Walmart, Hallmark and other retailers. She graduated in 2006 and is working on getting her children to attend BYU-Idaho. She says her education at BYU-Idaho helped her know how to continue to learn after receiving her degree.
“That’s what I loved about school at BYU-Idaho, that sets the foundation, that firm foundation that gives you the ability to keep learning and studying and crafting your art,” she said.
Andy Duncan is a photographer living in northern Utah. He started attending BYU-Idaho at the beginning, graduating in 2005. His photos in the gallery were made by taking two photographs and weaving them together.
“I kind of stumbled onto it intending to do one thing with weaving the photographs and after I had woven them together, discovered that wasn't going to be able to do the one thing that I had envisioned, but seeing the final woven photograph, realized that was — not to make it sound like a cop out or anything — but it was good enough. It worked,” Duncan said.
Erin and Adam Taylor both went through the art program at BYU-Idaho, graduating in 2009. Erin became a children’s book illustrator with titles like “Moving to Mars” and “Smarty Ants.” Adam works in stop motion after finishing a degree in England. He’s worked on projects like “Pinocchio” on Netflix and “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.” The couple also worked together to create the short film “UN!Q” about a roller-skating unicorn.
“We made that in our living room while living in England,” Adam said. “I was actually working on another job and that was kind of our afterwork project we wanted to do together.”
The free exhibit is open in the Spori Art Gallery at BYU-Idaho through Oct. 23.