MSU graphic design seniors celebrate college journey with ‘All the Things’ online exhibition

Black and white photo grid of MSU's 2020 Graphic Design Thesis student exhibitors — Graduating MSU graphic design seniors are showcasing their skills and talents in an online exhibition titled “All the Things.” Student exhibitors include (top row, l-r) Hannah Battey of Brandon; Lexi Bennett of Columbus; Carson Brantley of Pontotoc; Katie Corey of Shreveport, Louisiana; (second row, l-r) Amelia Dalton of Meridian; Tatiana Flores of Houston, Texas; Lindsey Anne Harper of Starkville; Rosalind Hutton of Tchula; (third row, l-r) Laura Jones of Laurel; Amber Mabry of Ridgeland; Suzy Marshall of Smithville; Ques Nevels of Olive Branch; (bottom row, l-r) Mary Hannah Ruff of Hattiesburg; Mimi Abbott Sheppard of Greenwood; Lilah Smith of Florence; and Julia Thompson of Starkville. (Submitted photo)

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Sixteen senior art majors specializing in graphic design at Mississippi ��APP are showcasing their work in an online Bachelor of Fine Arts thesis exhibition.

Titled “All the Things,” the virtual gallery showcases the seniors’ completion of academic and studio work within MSU’s Department of Art, the state’s largest undergraduate studio art program. The students have worked under the instruction of Assistant Professor Claire Gipson during the spring 2020 semester. The department typically honors graduating graphic design seniors with a campus exhibition, but has adapted these plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The students’ work can be viewed at . Updates on the exhibition are being posted to .

Student exhibitors explained that “All the Things” refers to the phrase that MSU Professor of Art Jamie Burwell Mixon uses to her guide her students as they strive to achieve design goals and exhibit excellence in their work. Mixon also is the department’s graphic design concentration coordinator.

“Motivation, self-discipline and most of all, limitless potential. That is what it means to ‘do all the things,’” said student exhibitor Suzy Marshall of Smithville.

Fellow exhibitor Lexi Bennett of Columbus added, “When we didn’t know where to go with a project, we would ask Professor Mixon for advice and she would say ‘just do all the things.’ It may not make sense to others, but for us, it was always just what we needed to finish out each project strong.”

Student exhibitors include (by hometown):

BRANDON—Hannah L. Battey

COLUMBUS—Catherine A. “Lexi” Bennett

FLORENCE—Lilah S. Smith

GREENWOOD—Mimi Abbott Sheppard

HATTIESBURG—Mary Hannah Ruff

HOUSTON, Texas—Tatiana B. Flores

LAUREL—Laura K. Jones

MERIDIAN—Amelia G. Dalton

OLIVE BRANCH—Demarques T. “Ques” Nevels

PONTOTOC—Carson E. Brantley

RIDGELAND—Amber N. Mabry

SHREVEPORT, Louisiana—Katie N. Ware Corey

SMITHVILLE—Susan M. “Suzy” Marshall

STARKVILLE—Lindsey Anne Harper and Julia E. Thompson

TCHULA—Rosalind G. Hutton

Learn more about MSU’s College of Architecture, Art and Design and the Department of Art at .

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at .

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