Suellen Guerreiro, from Invisible Language.

This year, University of Massachusetts Lowell's Spring BFA exhibition takes the form of RESILIENCE, an online gallery showcasing both the artwork created by the school's BFA candidates and the way the candidates rose to the challenge of finishing their capstone projects in the midst of unprecedented and turbulent times. A note from the Art and Design department on the homepage of RESILIENCE acknowledges the difficulty that this year's graduating students had to face, but also applauds their determination in finishing their education and creating good work. "With barely a stumble, they transitioned to remote learning with grace," the note says. "They brought positivity and cheer to zoom calls across the department. They adapted, bent and flexed their skills in unprecedented ways. They should be applauded for their grit, persistence and motivation in a time where it would have been easy to crumble." The virtual gallery is split into three sections, one each for animation, graphic design and studio art. The capstone projects of over 40 students are featured, and though no two pieces of art are alike, all demonstrate the skill, passion and hard work of their artists. Suellen Guerreiro's Invisible Language graphic design project explores the evolution of color and how our experience of it has changed over time. Colleen McDonagh taps into her memories of food to create surrealist yet enticing paintings. Katherine "Katie" Lucas explores the relationship between artist and medium in a 2D-animated short film about a moth who finds emotional release in the beauty of fire. These captivating projects and many more await viewers in RESILIENCE. Access the virtual gallery at umlbfa.com.

Ya Li, Nurture-2, 2019, mixed media and acrylic on wood panel, 24" x 30".

University at Albany is hosting their 2020 Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition online in light of COVID-19 concerns. In their introduction to the online gallery, Danny Goodwin, Associate Professor and Director of the school's Studio Art Program, and Corinna Ripps Schaming, the Director and Chief Curator of the exhibition, point out that despite the difficult situation, it sets the current graduating class apart from those that came before in a big way. "You belong to a new history," they wrote. "It has been nothing short of inspiring to see how, with that rug ripped from under your feet, you have each risen to the occasion to present a version of your planned exhibition that is so much more than a compromise. Each of you has embraced the dual responsibilities to both reflect and help shape the culture in which your practice is situated, especially in times of crisis such as these." Graduating students Courtney Bernardo, Sean Corcoran, Maxwell Goodknight, Anthony Jackson (Bugzdale), Erica Kaufman, Ya Li, Arnela Mahmutović, Meghan Mason, Anna Nina Pellicone and Tzuyen Wei use a wide variety of mediums to explore, expose and interpret an even wider variety of ideas. Ya Li's paintings, for example, explore the balance of human and nature through the depiction of cells and microorganisms and how they act on the body. Tzuyen Wei analyzes the Taiwanese immigrant experience through the manipulation and distortion of paint on the canvas, and Courtney Bernardo's captivating yet often bizarre sculptures confront society's stigma against mental health and body image. Even with COVID-19 providing a frustrating obstacle, each artist in the exhibition created artworks brimming with beauty and meaning. As Goodwin and Schaming eloquently put it, "It wasn't supposed to happen this way, but it did and here you are." Find University at Albany's 2020 Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibiton at albany.edu/museum/mfa2020.

Murphy Grady, 1980 In My Calvins, 2020, recycled denim and thread.

College of the Holy Cross's 2020 Senior Concentration Seminar Exhibition is an online exhibit showcasing the work of the school's nine graduating senior art majors from the Department of Visual Art's Concentration Seminar. Traditionally held in the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery, COVID-19 has forced the exhibit to move online to a dedicated website. The word "énouement," chosen by the students as their exhibition's title, is the bittersweet feeling of having arrived at the future and wishing to tell one's past self what that future would entail. "Throughout our four years at the college, we have been looking forward to having our senior studios and our senior show in Cantor; one of which got cut short, and one that will never come to fruition," said senior Emma Waligory. "Life doesn't seem to be real right now, and we're all just making it up as we go along." Despite the difficulty, featured student artists Xherd Aliko, Stephanie Browne, Claudia Davila, Luke Doughty, Annie Elbadawi, Murphy Grady, Thomas MacMullin, Morgan Sanders and Emma Waligory have created a senior exhibition that's just as show-stopping as the ones before it, if not even more so. "I am proud of the way this group has handled the challenge and moved forward in ways that demonstrate the skills they've acquired as creative individuals," said Associate Professor Matthew Gamber. énouement is a testament to the students' passion for their work and their drive to create something meaningful in this difficult time. Take a look at énouement at holycross.edu/enouement.

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