CAPE GIRARDEAU — “We Just Met,” an exhibition of mixed media works by Southeast Missouri State University student artists Kaitlyn Abt of St. Mary and Emerson Outman of Jackson will be on view today at Catapult Creative House.
The exhibition reception is scheduled for April 1 from 5-9 p.m.
Abt is a senior fine art major with an emphasis in welded metal and ceramic sculpture, and with a minor in psychology.
Outman is a senior art major whose artwork reflects her minors in architectural design and construction management.
Outman and Abt met at the University’s Fall 2021 Innovation Dock, a one-day event designed to immerse local students and teachers in creative time with Southeast faculty and students through a series of workshops across mediums and art disciplines in University studios. Outman and Abt decided to continue their partnership and create a quick collaborative piece without any planning or pre-constructed ideas about the result.
Working collaboratively, the artists layered tape and spray paint on found pieces of scrap plywood, creating a vibrant canvas of bright colors and interesting linework that is juxtaposed with imagery from old magazines and books. Exploring the process of spontaneous creation, the two artists found themselves intrigued by how the other artist’s interests and influences impacted one another’s work. The result is an exhibition that redefines their sense of the creative process and is reflective of the collaborative nature of art making, while also reinforcing the importance of different ideas and experiences.
As a part of a program to promote community-based and integrated art making, a student artist is chosen to exhibit his or her work at Catapult Creative House’s Student Studio Gallery each month. These exhibitions will showcase a range of work from individual artists that highlights their personal and professional artistic explorations as a part of the southeast Missouri art community. These artists explore the physicality of the human condition, its relationship to nature and the role of art in contemporary society.
Attendees are welcome to tour the entire Catapult facilities including Southeast’s Department of Art and Design student studios and gallery. Visitors are also invited to browse the merchandise in the Catapult Creative House Shoppe, which features student work and local business products.
Catapult Creative House is located at 612 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. All gallery exhibitions, events and talks are free and open to the public.