“Moving the Earth, Capturing the Sun” is the title of a one-student exhibit on display in the lobby of The Gallery at Penn College. The exhibit showcases ceramics and photography by Alexis M. Burrell, a senior in graphic design at Pennsylvania College of Technology.
Burrell’s works are on display in conjunction with “Graphic Design 2023,” the annual student portfolio exhibition in the gallery; she is one of 24 seniors exhibiting in that show. Both exhibits run through Friday, May 5.
For Burrell, daughter of Shannon and Jacqueline Burrell, of Danville, her love for nature is the theme that emerges as she explores many artistic mediums. She draws inspiration from the natural forms around her and incorporates them into her ceramics and photography. Most of her pottery includes plant forms. Clay that came from the earth and once nourished plants gets a new life as a vessel shaped with plant structures in mind. As well, the word “photograph” is translated as “drawing with light,” she points out, and sunlight is captured to create images that showcase nature.
Through her work, Burrell encourages others to “take a moment to notice the world around you: the first bird song in the morning, the movement of the clouds across the sky, and the setting sun.”
She says displaying her creative work in the two exhibits at The Gallery at Penn College “means more to me than walking across the stage” at her upcoming commencement ceremony (although that is exciting, too).
During her time at Penn College, Burrell has taken three ceramics classes with instructors David A. Stabley and Gerald G. Kaplan. She has also worked as a student photographer in the college’s Public Relations & Marketing office.
At Danville Area High School, Burrell took two years of ceramics with teacher Jeffrey Lynch. In her senior year of high school, she was enrolled in Advanced Placement 3-D Art and Design Portfolio and was one of 13 students in the state to earn a 5, the highest score in the course, in 2019.
Burrell occasionally sells her pottery at local craft shows, and she is engaged in freelance design and photo work. After graduation, she plans to work full time as a graphic designer or photographer and continue to expand her personal art and design endeavors.
Hours for the remainder of Burrell’s exhibit and “Graphic Design 2023” are 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.
The Gallery at Penn College is on the third floor of The Madigan Library. Exhibits are free and open to the public.
Serving as a cultural asset to the college and local communities, The Gallery at Penn College provides the opportunity for the appreciation and exploration of contemporary art and encourages critical thinking and meaningful experiences.
To learn more about graphic design and advertising art majors, call the School of Business, Arts & Sciences at 570-327-4521.
For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free at 800-367-9222.
