BFA Thesis Shows in Art and Design

In the midst of a global pandemic, undergraduate thesis students have come together virtually to revive, collaborate, create—and to present work at the culmination of their undergraduate studies at Rutgers. The online gallery rutgersbfa2020.net combines two exhibitions: Indoor Songs featuring 45 students in Visual Arts, and Déjà Rêvé featuring 26 students in Design.

The self-curated virtual exhibitions reflect the breadth of students’ practice and capture the interdisciplinary mission of the program, featuring works in design, drawing, media, painting, photography, print, and sculpture. Themes and approaches range widely, from personal concerns of memory, perception and anxiety to global issues of immigration, representation, and labor practices. In the current moment, many of these young artists and designers are reframing their work, forced to look inward and still very much aware of the worlds they inhabit.

The students pivoted quickly to an online platform from their planned gallery exhibitions. They rallied together and showed incredible resilience and creativity in a time of crisis. This online exhibition demonstrates how a creative community can come together to produce something transformative in a moment of uncertainty. Mason Gross School of the Arts is proud to bring its annual BFA Thesis Exhibitions online to audiences far beyond New Brunswick, New Jersey.