Month-long Senior Art and Design Exhibition to open April 9

The annual Senior Art and Design Exhibition, featuring the capstone experiences for graduating Ashland University art and design students, will run from Thursday, April 9, through Saturday, May 9, at the Coburn Gallery in the Center for the Arts (331 College Ave.). The exhibition’s opening reception on April 9 will be from 4:30-6:30 p.m., with awards being announced at 5:30 p.m.

“While the 2026 Senior Art Exhibition provides the capstone experience for graduating art and design majors, it represents more than just students’ studio art experiences,” said Cynthia Petry, director of the Coburn Gallery. “For these students of the liberal arts, the exhibition is the culmination of their undergraduate careers at Ashland University.”

This year’s exhibition includes digital art, graphic design, painting, printmaking and sculpture from nine talented senior artists – Chelsea Allen, Grace Crall, Juliana Howard, Hannah Keough, Amanda Kolar, Josie Musci, Kaysie Salmons, Grace Stephens and Lauren Vavrek.

Allen, from Genoa, Ohio, will graduate with a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in sculpture and a minor in entrepreneurship. She has been a Dean’s List honoree, competed multiple times in the university’s entrepreneur pitch competitions and studied abroad in Italy. She worked at the Writing & Communication Center on campus and as a pharmacy technician off campus. After graduation, Allen plans to start her own business with a long-term goal of building and sustaining successful ventures while also allowing her to pursue her passion for creating art full-time.

Crall, from Ashland, Ohio, will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in art education and a minor in business administration. She exhibited all four years in the Juried Student Art and Design Exhibition, earning the Dean’s Award in 2025, Honorable Mention in 2023 and 2025 and the Alumni “Wink” Award in 2024. She has served as an instructor for AU’s Summer Art Camp as well as at Tin Can Chandelier studio from 2022-25. Crall is pursuing an art teacher position in a K-12 setting.

Howard, also an Ashland local, is set to graduate with a B.F.A. with minors in marketing and public relations. Her work was displayed at the Juried Student Art and Design Exhibition the last two years, and she has been a dedicated student worker at the recreation center. Outside of campus, she is interning with film studio Cranked Up and she helped plan and implement a marketing campaign for Ashland Main Street. Howard intends to remain in Ashland following graduation and find a job that will allow her to uplift the Ashland community.

Keough, of Spencer, Ohio, is an illustration major with a minor in psychology. Her art has been featured in several AU exhibitions, earning recognition such as the 2025 Bernini Award, the 2025 Saville Award and the 2023 Permanent Collection Award, and it also was exhibited at the Rochester Contemporary Art Center in 2023. She provided illustrations for former AU professor Curt Ickes’ book “Pitch by Pitch” and for “Passages Revised: An Ashland University Undergrad Literary Press.” Off campus, she was an art therapy intern at Appleseed Mental Health Center, and she plans to pursue a job in illustration or attend graduate school for art therapy after graduation.

Kolar, from Concord Twp., Ohio, will graduate with a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in graphic design and a minor in marketing. She is a member of the Eagles’ softball team, a Huddle Leader for Fellowship of Christian Athletes and a member of the marketing club. She successfully launched two businesses, Grace Ongoing LLC and Voice Up Athletics LLC, which sell Christian apparel and accessories and address mental health issues in college athletics, respectively. She was an intern with the athletic department, creating social media graphics. Kolar’s goal is to land a job in graphic design, preferably for social media.

Musci, of Wooster, Ohio, is on schedule to graduate with a B.F.A. in printmaking and painting with a minor in business administration. Her work was featured in four different AU exhibitions, receiving a 2025 Honorable Mention and the 2024 Bernini Award. She is a member of the university’s art club and worked on a mural for the academic advising department. Following graduation, Musci plans to pursue an apprenticeship in tattooing and to continue education on screen printing and printmaking.

Salmons is expected to graduate with a B.F.A. with a concentration in graphic design and a bachelor’s degree in psychology this December. Her art has been included in the Juried Student Art and Design Exhibition each of the last three years and she received an Honorable Mention award. She has worked at Coburn Gallery and the Campus Store, helping design merchandise at the latter, and she also participated in art club events on campus. After graduation, Salmons plans to continue her studies in clinical health psychology and to create branding and advertising for local small businesses.

Stephens, from Ashland, Ohio, will graduate in December with a bachelor’s degree in art education with a minor in painting. She has been a Dean’s List recipient every semester and had a number of artworks in the Juried Student Art and Design Exhibition, winning the Dean’s Award in 2025. She also received the department’s Outstanding Student Award as a sophomore. She has assisted with AU’s Summer Art Camp for three years and AU’s High School Experience for three years. She works at the Coburn Gallery and volunteers at New Life Community Church. Stephens is planning a career in teaching art.

Vavrek, of Broadview Hts., Ohio, is set to graduate this May with a B.F.A. with a concentration in graphic design and a minor in painting. She had some of her work exhibited in the 2025 Juried Student Art and Design Exhibition and completed an internship at the Coburn Gallery where she made posters and advertisements for exhibitions. Vavrek plans to pursue a corporate job in graphic design in the Cleveland area following graduation.

The Coburn Gallery is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays and noon-4 p.m. on weekends. For more information, visit the gallery’s Facebook page or call 419-289-5652.