Graduating art students are stepping into the spotlight this weekend, ready to unveil their works while making connections and celebrating art and community.

Students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts and Visual Arts and the Built Environment (VABE) programs will showcase their pieces while connecting with other creatives at their thesis exhibition ‘Resonance’ in the SoCA Gallery on Saturday, April 6.

“We’re trying to encourage the community to join us as more of a public event, rather than something that’s just for students or family members of students,” BFA student Abbey Dufault said. “We want it to be a gathering that invites everyone to celebrate what we’ve been working toward all year and to bring arts back into the community as a lively celebration.”

This is the first large-scale thesis exhibition to be held in person since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the students are looking forward to having the experience of launching their careers as emerging artists and networking with other creatives.

“I think a big part of our university experiences was taken away with not being able to have these types of events. At the few that we have had, I’ve met so many fellow creatives. And I think it’s a lot easier to connect when you're in person, you’re seeing each other’s art. You’re able to talk about it and hopefully collaborate in the future with the people that you’re meeting,” Dufault said.

“It provides a lot more accessibility to artists to be able to connect and to get their name out there, which was much harder to do during COVID when everything was just online. When you’re able to take what you've been working on and put it in front of people’s eyes, I think the effect is much greater.”

With diverse work being showcased at the exhibition, from animators, painters, illustrators, mixed media, and architects — there will be something for every art appreciator to enjoy. This speaks to the name “Resonance” and why it was chosen for the exhibition. BFA student Yvonne Gascon explained that when referring to art, it is understood as the emotions that are aroused by art, and the quality that makes something personally meaningful.

“I think that’s what's so interesting is that when you take in everyone’s art, you’re going to have a very different reaction to it,” she said. “So, although everyone’s work is so different, I feel like everyone is going have a very strong reaction to everything and it will be a positive reaction regardless of the subject matter.”

The exhibition will showcase the works students have been creating over their final year. BFA student Phoebe Findlay said the artists have been thinking about things more conceptually and have been offered more professional critique.

“It’s building a body of work that could potentially bring us to a master’s program or another level of education,” she said. “We’re very proud of it and we want to include the public to show what our school can offer the community as well as celebrate all of us becoming emerging artists in the Windsor scene.”

The reception will be held in the SoCa Gallery at 37 University Avenue East from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. The exhibition will run from April 6 to 11.