Every year, the University of Minnesota’s upcoming Bachelor of Fine Arts graduates showcase their work in an end-of-the-year gallery exhibition. This year, 17 BFA students will share their work in the “From All Sides” exhibition, opening to the public April 28 at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery.

Focused around themes of identity, memory, connection and place, these 17 students have spent the last seven months exploring personal connections, identifying core narratives and creating the diverse body of work they will soon showcase.

From performances to hand-carved elements, advanced photo collages and paintings, these students draw from their lived experiences to anchor memories in physical form.

Corrie Steckelberg

Mixed-media artist Corrie Steckelberg draws on her own experiences as a mother to explore themes of domestic labor, the competitive pressures of motherhood and the tension of unspoken rules in managing a household.

Steckelberg’s vast experience and confidence in sculpture will be featured in her display at the “From All Sides” exhibition. Her work includes a wood-carved spinning wheel where, in place of traditional spokes, a series of human legs and feet are forced into a relentless routine of running without ever leaving their constructed space.

While immensely proud of this piece and receiving praise from her BFA peers, Steckelberg felt the need to push herself beyond her usual bounds for this exhibition.

“I want to do something that makes me more uncomfortable,” Steckelberg said. “I want to push myself.”

As a result, Steckelberg has developed a series of one-shot performances, uniquely sharing the nuanced, complex emotions of “the mother” in seemingly mundane activities.

Using mock living spaces constructed from cardboard – such as a kitchen – Steckelberg performs typical maternal duties, like making peanut butter toast. 

While the scene begins as a normal, domestic moment, the performance gradually transforms into an uncomfortable display of repetition and broken norms, ultimately descending into complete havoc.

“Everything was ruined afterwards, so I couldn’t do it again,” Steckelberg said. “So there was a lot of pressure and [some] danger elements and that made people uncomfortable for those reasons, which was pretty rewarding.”

Elijah Elliott

BFA student Elijah Elliott has found a vested interest in digital photo collage to express his connection to his family. Scans of various old family photographs are a prominent feature of his upcoming work, serving as the foundation for his digital reconstructions.

Moving away from traditional collage methods – such as cutting from magazines or gluing scraps together – Elliott has developed a technique that fuses his passion for photography with a drive to innovate.

By scanning high-resolution scans of physical objects, Elliott uses Photoshop to collage established photographs with textures from everyday life, creating a new message behind his family’s history.

“I am attracted towards things that are kind of deteriorating, like rust or paint chips – something that’s rough and almost jagged,” Elliott said. “Something that’s not supposed to be scanned.”

Elliott’s intuitive approach resides in his belief that art is a form of play. When working in Photoshop, he experiments with shifting positions and composition to see how various elements interact.

Over time, through this process of trial and error, he discovers the specific arrangement that “sticks” – eventually reaching the point where the work feels truly complete.

Madelyn Churchill

Painter Madelyn Churchill is a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, a federally recognized American Indian tribal government in the east-central Minnesota region. Through her artwork, Churchill explores her indigeneity and the obstacles of living in a post-colonized world, while incorporating themes of home and breaking toxic family cycles. 

In a series of paintings, Churchill reflects on how memories of microaggression, racism and a sense of disconnect from her white peers affected her self-perception growing up.  

Her current body of work offers more than a glimpse into her life; it serves as an opportunity for self-discovery.

“I’m kind of building this relationship up with myself and trying to get to know myself truly,” Churchill said. “I always felt this kind of disconnection to not only my peers but also living in a post-colonized nation [where] my people have been displaced and hurt. ‘How do I navigate living in that kind of situation?’ That’s what I’m trying to figure out in my work – my relationship with my indigeneity, the land that I grew up on, my communities, my family, my friends and loved ones.”

When asked what she hopes exhibition-goers take away from her work, Churchill emphasizes the importance of expanding the public’s understanding of Native American life.

“My goal with my artwork, in general, is to add to the diasporic perspectives of Native Americans,” Churchill said. “Not all Native Americans are the same; they all lead different lives because of all these various reasons.”

Churchill finished her statement, emphasizing her role in a larger cultural shift: “I want to add to that conversation, but also bring a new perspective.”

The public is invited to experience the work of these three artists and their peers from April 28 through May 9. Located at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery at the University of Minnesota. The “From All Sides” exhibition is open to guests Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.