Anonymous Artist of “La Dolce Vida”
Artist Statement: I’ve always had a fascination with science and its applications. Despite this, I often find myself seeking other ways to engage my mind through photography. In some ways I see the two as different sides of the same coin – both disciplines seek to describe the world around us. Whereas science represents a more objective approach to our understanding of the world, photography is a medium where the amount of subjectivity can vary greatly. Photos can appear exactly as our eyes would see the world or entirely unnatural.
Anonymous Artist of “Harvest Dress”
Biography: I am a fourth-year Natural Resources major. I have been sewing and creating fiber art for over ten years and currently instruct a sewing class at the OSU Craft Center!
Artist Statement: Since beginning working for the craft center here at OSU I feel like my creativity and inspiration has skyrocketed. I love fall aesthetics and found a fall-themed fabric that immediately inspired me. Over the course of two or three weeks I created this dress and petticoat. I drew on past knowledge and pushed myself to try new techniques. In the future I would like to continue adding beads to the skirt and high quality ribbon for lacing. I think this project was a testament to the amazing resources provided by the OSU craft center. These photos where also taken by my partner on Halloween.
Anonymous Artist of “Pride”
Biography: I am an autistic Disabled trans poet living in the Pacific Northwest. I attend Oregon State as a senior with a major in Psychology and a minor in queer studies. I enjoy in my free time writing poetry, hanging with friends, and baking. Poetry has been something I have been writing since I was in high school.
Artist Statement: I write poetry about topics that are close to me and my communities. As an autistic Disabled trans person poetry is a way I can share my life experiences. I am inspired by my own life and the news. I like to use vivid imagery to provoke emotional responses in my audience.
Anonymous Artist of “16,000 PALESTINIANS KILLED SINCE OCT 7TH. 1 FLAG=10 DEATHS. YOUR SILENCE=COMPLIANCE.”
Biography: Made possible by students of Oregon State University.
Artist Statement: Photography by Raenen. This photo was taken on December 7th, 2023. Despite a majority vote by the UN General assembly in favor of a humanitarian ceasefire, and immense international protests across the globe, the U.S. backed Israeli genocidal violence against Palestinians ceases to end. We condemn OSU’s neutrality, and the overwhelming silence among the Corvallis community.
*As of March 28th, 2024, at least 33,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s ongoing genocidal aggression, numbers which do not account for the more than 8,000 missing and or buried under the rubble. There are no standing universities left in Gaza; these numbers equate to the massacre of 90% of the OSU student body. CEASEFIRE NOW.
Anonymous Artist of “Bipolar”
Artist Statement: Art for me, whether it be prose, song, or some visual mode of expression, always tends to come from a vulnerable and raw emotional place. Coping through art is cathartic for me and while I was coping with a lot of change, grief, and personal issues over the past few years, I found prose to be my favorite means of expressing and releasing that pain. It’s very easy to fall into overdramatic self-pitying nonsense, but I find that’s half the fun of writing confessionally.
Because this mode of creation is so tied to emotional release, my process usually consists of throwing as much hyperbolically inflated word garbage onto a page as I can fit to get the feel of what I want the piece’s content to consist of. I just let everything onto the page. Afterward, I fix all my grammatical errors and trim the fat to make the piece sound cohesive and rhythmically sound.
Anonymous Artist of “Pink Chrome French Tips / Studio Ghibli: Spirited Away Nails”
Artist Statement: Nail art is something that started as a way to save money and have control over what designs I wanted and how they could match my mood/outfit for the week. Some weeks it’ll be abstract colors and patterns while other weeks it’ll be a cartoon character or something to match an upcoming holiday like Christmas. If I don’t have a design in mind, I’ll usually go online and gain inspiration from other artists. Depending on the design type, it can take me from 1 to 4 hours. Nail art works perfectly for me as it is functional but also isn’t a long term project as it can completed in one sitting.
A. Roos
Biography: A. Roos works with acrylic, gouache, watercolor, sharpies, and other mediums to express passion and pain and connect them to nature’s beauty. Their style relies on heavily saturated colors, carefully calculated layers, and intricate details in pieces that may take over 15 hours to complete. Their work is heavily influenced by a craving to cherish the connections and fulfillment found outside of isolating anxiety and religion.
Artist Statement: I’ve been drawing since I was a kid and started painting in 2020. Art is a huge part of my life, and while I want to utilize it as a tool for community-building and solidarity, I am studying Forestry so that financial reliance won’t ruin my deep love of art. It took years of experimenting to find my style, which is forever indebted to a few incredible classes at PCC and hours spent painting murals in my room. Recent inspiration has come from the complexity of becoming an adult, processing a Catholic childhood, and living in an ironically useless political system.
Social Media: @a.roos_canvas
Abigail Riechers
Biography: Abigail Riechers is a Liberal Studies Major with a focus on Writing and Communication, and a minor in Tourism, Recreation, and Adventure Leadership at OSU-Cascades in Bend, Oregon. She will graduate with her Bachelor’s of Science in December of 2024. She has previously been published in Prism and in Portland Community College’s literary and art magazine, Alchemy. When not in class or working in the Career Development Center, she can be found hiking and camping all across Oregon with her dog, Grizzy.
Artist Statement: I enjoy writing short stories (and poetry) because I feel it is an incredibly flexible medium that allows communication of complex feelings and emotions that are difficult to articulate otherwise. “What the kitchen walls will tell” was written from an experience of sitting in my mother’s kitchen while I helped her make salsa and how mundane and normal that seems while the war in Palestine is ongoing. I also pulled from my own family’s experience of diaspora when they immigrated to the United States during the Great Famine in Ireland. The famine, combined with Irish Catholics being unable to get good paying jobs at the time, meant my family had the options of leaving, or starving.
Social Media: @abbimakesbread
Adrian Baker
Biography: I’m a third-year CS major at OSU. I like writing code (who woulda thought?), hiking, playing the piano, and helping people with their Operating Systems 2 homework. When I’m on campus, you can find me most days at Kelley Engineering Center working on my latest abomination of spaghetti code or helping someone else debug their program.
Artist Statement: I like to turn “making computer software do things it shouldn’t be able to do” into an art form, whether that be creating interactive 3D worlds in Desmos Graphing Calculator, generating 3D fractals in your browser, or trying to cram a complex pattern into as short of a line of code as possible.
Desmos Plane: radian628.github.io/desmosplane
Social Media: @radian628 on GitHub
Adrian Ostrow
Biography: I’m a ceramics artist majoring in electrical engineering. I fell in love with wheel-throwing in high school, and I’m happy to be able to continuing throwing at Oregon State’s craft center! After college I hope to get a job in the renewable energy field, and I hope to open my own pottery studio someday.
Artist Statement: I make pottery that serves a purpose. That’s what ceramics have done for centuries. From the first forms of tableware to heat shields on rocket ships, ceramics are not the dainty delicate art form you might think of. I make pieces that are meant to be used everyday!
Social Media: @ceremicsbyadrian on Instagram
Alina Kroll
Biography: Alina Kroll is a fourth-year student majoring in English literature and creative writing at Oregon State University. She currently works in OSU’s undergraduate writing center, is the president of the OSU’s Student Literary Club, and volunteers at OSU’s undergraduate literary magazine. Outside of school, Alina enjoys spending time with her pet mouse and cooking massive pots of soup each weekend. She plans to pursue a career in writing fiction novels and personal narratives after graduating.
Artist Statement: My works are typically defined by deeply introspective narrators who are occasionally drawn towards the morbid and unsettling circumstances that surround their lives. I am interested in making unusual experiences feel familiar by creating characters that, although strange, also feel vivid and believable. I have recently been exploring themes of how grief evolves over time and why each person experiences loss in a different way.
Social Media: @alina_kroll_
Allie Doss
Biography: I’m Allison Doss, a Political Science student at Oregon State University. I am from Hood River, Oregon, and grew up spending lots of time in nature. Thus, I love hiking, traveling, and photography. In the future, I would like to become a human rights lawyer and work to fight discrimination around the world. I am a women’s rights activist and over the last year have planned and facilitated more than ten protests and events focused on gender equity. I also love to read and dance.
Artist Statement: I began doing photography as a kid to work on slowing down and learn to appreciate more of the world. Each photograph represents a moment of deep connection and quiet communication that unfolds to allow a sense of wonder and reverence for nature. Ranging from the United States to Switzerland to Canada, each has allowed me a humble attempt to capture these fleeting moments and share the raw beauty that surrounds us each day. Over the last several years, this art has granted me peace, clarity, and many opportunities for adventure, usually when surrounded by my loved ones.
Allie Wood
Biography: My name is Allie and I enjoy writing poetry and fiction. I am interested in poetry that discusses nature, the body, illness, and what it means to be a woman. In my free time, I enjoy reading fantasy novels and works of literary fiction. My favorite author who I draw a lot of inspiration from in my own work is Olivie Blake. I also enjoy spending time with my pets, spending time outdoors, or better yet… both at the same time!
Artist Statement: Poetry is a way for me to open my heart up to the things my mouth isn’t ready to speak on yet. I find that writing poems tends to make room on the page for any grievances I’m experiencing at that particular time. Poetry is healing. I love writing poetry about nature, the body, illness, and what it means to be a woman. I hope on some level, I am able to intertwine these interests and create something alluring that evokes emotion and tenderness in the reader.
Social Media: @alliewood on Instagram
Andreas Shypertt
Biography: My name is Andreas Shypertt and I am a photographer from the Bay Area, California. My love for photography sparked a few years ago when I was just messing around with cameras and from that point on I never put my camera down. My main focuses are automotive, landscape, and travel photography but I dabble in everything, letting my creativity lead the way.
Artist Statement: My submission is a series of photos I took this past summer featuring photos taken in Paris, the small town of Hunawihr, and Yosemite National Park. By always having my camera with me, I have been able to capture special moments like the ones in this series of photos. Walking the streets of Paris allowed me to photograph the incredible architecture, wandering the vineyards of France allowed me to photograph the serenity of Hunawihr church during sunset, and hiking the trails of Yosemite allowed me to photograph the boldness of a Half Dome sunset and the vastness of Yosemite Valley.
Social Media: @shots.by.andreas
Aspen McCallum
Biography: Aspen McCallum is currently a student at Oregon State University working towards a Bachelors of Fine Arts with a minor in Art History. Their focus is in printmaking and studio painting/ drawing. When not studying for school, Aspen works part time as a Stained Glass instructor at the school’s Craft Center. In Aspen’s free time, they expand their creative mindset through other crafts such as ceramics, crochet, woodworking and more.
Artist Statement: For my creative process I take inspiration from my inner thoughts, feelings, identity, and experiences. More recently a lot of my artwork has been more personal because of these themes. From imagined scenes in my brain palace to processing thoughts and feelings from real life experience, my art often combines my fictional and real world into one. As for my preferred medium, I do not favor one overall, which allows me to explore my own creative boundaries and constantly evolve my skills.
Social Media: @mpm.artwork
Audrey Saiz
Biography: I am a third-year creative writing major minoring in environmental science and applied journalism. I grew up in a small island town in Alaska called Sitka and lived there for most of my life until coming to OSU. I’ve been a dancer my entire life, and I still continue to dance when I can in my free time here on campus.
Artist Statement: Most of what I write is environment and nature based. A lot of it is based on memories of home, or connections to home. I started photography while still living in Alaska, but it’s been fun to explore new places through the lens since then. I tend to focus on writing about emotions, as a way of processing. But I also enjoy exploring new ideas, and scenes especially in my poems.
Social Media: @audreysaizphotography
Austin Thornton
Biography: I’m Austin Thornton, an English and Creative Writing student at Oregon State University, studying to become an editor. I’ve been published in *82 Review, and won the 2023 Writing in Culture Award for Creative Writing.
Artist Statement: My writing is my coping mechanism as much as it is my passion. In writing a feeling, I remove it from my heart and see it with my brain. In writing an idea, I remove it from my brain; inscribe it in my heart. Writing is the way I make the world make sense, and sometimes it is the way I make it senseless. Whatever’s more interesting.
Social Media: @austin_r_thornton
Ava Code
Biography: Ava is a first year student at Oregon State University. Although she is pursuing a career in STEM, she has a passion for art in all forms. Ava acquired this passion and painting knowledge from her Mamaw who was an artist of 97 years. Ava hopes to continue building her skills and experimenting with new mediums.
Artist Statement: I have been painting since the ripe old age of 2, beginning with the ever-so-elegant and sophisticated style of finger painting, eventually turning my focus towards acrylic painting. I use art as a way to clear my mind and channel my creative energy into something productive. My art tends to be surrealist and abstract, and I often begin my pieces without a plan and paint whatever I feel like painting at the moment. I create absurdist art because I believe that art doesn’t have to be serious or meaningful to have value and that everyone is an artist regardless of skill level. Go paint something ugly and be proud of it!
Social Media: @avaunbehava
Avé Gray
Biography: I’m a second year BioHealth Science major with a certificate in Medical Humanities. I’m also on the pre-med track, although I’m not entirely sure what type of doctor I’d like to be someday. I’m passionate about merging the world of science and humanities because I strongly believe that one field cannot reach its full potential without the other.
Artist Statement: Although I’ve always loved the idea of it, I’m new to the world of writing! I’m a STEM major who historically found myself leaving no room for my creative side. That changed when I took a class this term that focused on using other writers’ pieces as models for your work. It was just the jumping-off point I needed. I’m also passionate about healthcare and sharing my own unique medical history. Many of the pieces I write now are inspired by authors I admire and styles I’ve never seen before.
Social Media: @whitecoatincoming on Instagram
Brandon Stephenson
Biography: I’m an extremely passionate artist who’s always open to trying new things and constantly evolving my style.
Artist Statement: Always striving to create pieces I’m proud of.
Social Media: @brandonartstuff on Instagram
Briana McGee
Biography: I’m an extremely passionate artist who’s always open to trying new things and constantly evolving my style.
Artist Statement: Always striving to create pieces I’m proud of.
Social Media: @brandonartstuff on Instagram
Brooke Jennings
Biography: Brooke Jennings is a third year Psychology and Studio Art student at Oregon State who has combined a love for art with a passion for exploring new ways to be creative. Through practicing outside their signature mediums of drawing and painting, Brooke has had the opportunity to explore new forms of expression, which include mixed media, collage, fiction writing, poetry, and more. Before moving to Corvallis, Oregon, Brooke was born and raised in Southern California, where they began their enthusiasm for creativity and the world of art. Since moving to Oregon, they have had the opportunity to be involved in multiple art installations, including John Grade’s “Emeritus” on the Oregon State campus. Brooke has also recently become a leadership member of Montage, the Fine Arts club at OSU. They look forward to the future of sharing their art with others and are very thankful for the support expressed by other artists in the community!
Artist Statement: Brooke’s goal for their art, regardless of medium, is to evoke a strong sense of emotion that resonates within individuals from any audience. A large inspiration for them is the concept of empathy, and how understanding and sharing the feelings of others can create a strong connection between yourself and the world around you. While Brooke is in the process of creating a new piece, a predetermined goal is often never set, which allows space for more creative freedom. They consider the process by which you create art to be an art form in itself.
Social Media: @b.j.arting
Brooke McCarthy
Biography: I’m Brooke McCarthy and I’m an avid notes app user. My all encompassing “wrds” note has been continually added to since my freshman year of high school.
Artist Statement: I’m very fascinated my humans and their behaviors, including my own. I write about what I see and feel, and observe in myself and others.
Social Media: @brooke.marin on Instagram
Brook Ferris
Biography: Raised in Alaska’s wilderness, Brook has nurtured her photographic talent for over half her life, inspired by the storytelling potential of images. Her initial work, fueled by curiosity, captured diverse cultures and environments candidly, emphasizing observational learning.
Brook’s current photography confronts societal norms, reflecting her artistic evolution and authentic subject engagement. She captures moments with genuine emotion and perspective.
Entering this contest, Brook offers more than images; she presents a narrative of personal growth and artistic exploration. Her transition from Alaska to Oregon parallels her photographic journey—constantly learning, observing, and evolving.
Artist Statement: In my early photography days, I embarked on a candid exploration, gradually recognizing its power for societal insight. Born in Alaska’s vast landscape, my work reflected curiosity about the diversity of life.
This collection marks a discovery phase, where my camera, chronicled untold stories of people, places, and things. I focused on capturing authentic, unguarded moments, preserving unfiltered reality.
My method was straightforward: observe and capture discreetly, allowing scenes to unfold naturally. This approach yielded candid snapshots, creating a visual diary of experiences. I invite viewers to explore varied landscapes and lives, offering glimpses into both familiar and unfamiliar worlds.
Social Media: @snapshotvoyages
Brynne Boehlecke
Biography: Osiyo nigadv! Hello everyone, I’m Brynne, a second-year OSU student majoring in creative writing with a minor in Indigenous studies. I’m from Las Vegas and I’m a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, and identities wrapped around place, language, and love are the driving forces in much of my art. When I’m not writing or studying, I enjoy buying more plants than I need and reading a borderline unhealthy amount of books about witches. Wado / Thank you!
Artist Statement: I never saw myself as a poet, but it turns out all I needed was the right inspiration to make poetry that both holds meaning to me and can hold meaning for others. My inspiration often comes from minute details and broad identities, and my poems are attempts to find the places where those things overlap. Whether I’m writing about the effects of colonization on Native languages or the way my mom makes quilts out of old T-shirts, I always try to find unique images that can evoke ubiquitous feelings.
Social Media: @brynne.hannah on Instagram
CJ “Komodo” Sarte
Biography: CJ is a young aspiring musician based in Corvallis, Oregon. He creates music of all genres, mainly Hip Hop and R&B. He has been producing music since he was 13, and has been singing and songwriting for as long as he can remember.
Artist Statement: Taking inspiration from artists like love-sadKid, atlas, Khai Dreams, and Tyler, The Creator. Komodo uses the very little resources he has to create whatever he wants. Whether it be rap, pop, or even jazz, the college sophomore is obsessed with the music he creates and uses it as a way to extend his imagination beyond his own smooth brain. Basically, stream his new album “HER.”
Social Media: @i.eat.arms on Instagram and @Komodo.mp3 on YouTube
Canyon Roberts
Biography: Canyon has had a story cooking in his brain since he was very little, and his dream is to one day share it with the world! He’s currently studying mechanical engineering while pursuing art and music as hobbies that could potentially become a side-gig!
Artist Statement: These drawings serve as a way for me to explore my characters and the stories that they live through. Before any artistic decision is made about composition, value, or style, I focus on the scenario that i wish to depict. Digital art as a medium makes this process much more forgiving, as it’s extremely well suited for spitting out ideas rapidly and collaging together the ones that work.
Social Media: @cannnnyart on Instagram
Casper Ko
Biography: Hi, I’m Casper! I’m a fourth year student studying English and Creative Writing at OSU. I started photography about a year ago, and it’s been one of my best decisions to date. Other than the fact I enjoy it, photography has given me so many things that I wouldn’t have other wise. That is reason enough for me I think.
Artist Statement: Photography does so much for me. To me, it is an excuse to go out into the world. To look harder at the things we see everyday, the people, and the stories they hold. And the gift? The eye you get after countless days hunting. As generic as it is, photography has given me a newfound level of appreciation for the world I see. I don’t gloss over things as much. Instead, I see shapes, colors, stories; things that evaded me before. It’s something I carry with me everyday.
Social Media: @KOTO.GRAPHED on Instagram
Cassidy Smith
Biography: I grew up in a rural town in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, and with not a whole lot to do I picked up drawing as a hobby very early on. It helped that both my parents were artistically inclined and encouraged my creativity as soon as I could hold a pencil. Over the years my love for art has grown and I continue to practice to this day. I hope in my future career to combine my interests in both art and science, and am studying Zoology with a minor in Studio Art to achieve that goal.
Artist Statement: The work I create is an expression of who I was and am. Each piece I’ve made captures a moment of my life not necessarily through the theme or underlying meaning, but instead with each mark I make on my canvas. I use art to help better understand the world around me and in some way myself as well. Every artwork is my attempt to understand form, figure, expression in the moment and allows me to look back on my previous works to see how far I have come and changed.
Social Media: @catsketches_
Cecily Evonuk
Biography: Cecily Evonuk is a third year undergraduate at Oregon State University who is majoring in History and minoring in Studio Art and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Evonuk’s artwork explores queerness, transness, joy, pain, and healing.
Artist Statement: I hope that my artwork will resonate and be cathartic for transgender and queer people, and I hope that it will make cisgender people think about and understand transgender and queer issues surrounding the perception of self and others better. My work explores the transgender and queer experiences and the simultaneous joy and pain that is associated with that existence.
Social Media: @weird.unusual.art on Instagram
Charlotte Handick
Biography: Currently pursuing a degree in English at Oregon State University, Charlotte Handick’s introspective writing style is inspired by the postmodernist confessional poets she studies. In her work she explores themes of memory, disability, and the regenerative power of language.
Artist Statement: I have found that I do my best writing during spare moments in my notes app, be it on the bus or in the walk between classes. My goal is to inspire those who see my work to pause and look more carefully at their interior world, to discover the beauty within their own mental landscape. Through my writing, I hope to celebrate the unseen layers of the human experience.
Daphne Komut
Biography: Daphne is a sophomore at OSU, majoring in Creative Writing. Born and from Washington, Daphne grew up surrounded by nature, with a fondness for animals and plants, though they don’t get enjoy nature as often anymore. They’ve been writing short stories and poetry since elementary, but only started taking it seriously in high school. Daphne’s hobbies are playing (and obsessing over) video games, reading comics and books (two recently read favorites are “The Summer Hikaru Died” and “Demian”), and drawing for hours while ignoring important work that needs to be done. They currently have no other published work.
Artist Statement: Whatever I write is often motivated by a yearning to connect with others. I’ve never been a good speaker, so, I’ve turned to written word in many forms to express myself. I’m fascinated by so many things: nature, (a)sexuality, inter-personal dynamics, what we perceive as reality. I feel they are an integral part of our experience as humans. While what I write may not be reality, it can reflect something meaningful onto me and those who read my work. I love twisting bodies, bending light, layering words only to peel them away—so I can find what I really mean.
Dani Zahariev
Biography: Dani is a third year computer science and digital communications arts student and aspiring filmmaker from Portland, Oregon. In their free time, they enjoy climbing, walking, and making charcuterie boards for friends.
Artist Statement: I staged this photo after not having had a conversation for four days. It made me feel a little better.
Social Media: @dannysphotosandstuff on Instagram
David Swanson
Biography: Originally from the Bay Area, David Swanson is a senior at Oregon State majoring in both English and Creative Writing. He enjoys cats, reading, and cold soda, especially at the same time.
Artist Statement: I write because I like the sound of my own voice. I think every writer does, at least a little, and if they say they don’t then they might be lying. Primarily writing fiction, particularly fantasy, I’ll do a bit of anything if the mood strikes. My favorite part of writing is the way words and sentences work together, especially the feeling when everything snaps into place and you know it’s just right.
Drew Hansen
Biography: My name is Drew and I am an older undergraduate student in the botany program at OSU. I am a proud Willamette Valley native and have lived in Portland for almost 30 years. I earned an associates degree in horticulture/landscape design from Clackamas Community College in 2005. After 13 years of running my own garden design and care business, I decided I needed to continue to pursue and build upon my passion for plants and all things nature. I have been working to earn my bachelors in botany with a focus on bioremediation and/or mycoremediation. I want to learn everything I possibly can about plants, fungi and their relationships with ecosystems. I am completely enamored with interplant functions and symbioses and truly believe that we as humans can learn from their wisdom.
Artist Statement: Greetings! My name is Drew and I create pressed plant creations under the name Greeneye Presses. I am a horticulturist, garden designer, plant lover and former owner of my own business called Greeneye Gardens- a landscape design, consultation and care company in Portland, Oregon.
I have always been enamored by the unique, specialized beauty that only nature can create. Sometimes we forget to notice the awesomely intricate details that occur all around us in the forms of folia and flora. I have the pleasure of working closely with these ubiquitous mini-masterpieces and I am honored to share their artistry with you.
All plant specimens are lovingly collected from my yard and my NE Portland neighborhood and pressed by hand by me the old-fashioned way, in an antique book-binding press. No alterations have been done to these plant beauties. All frames are carefully selected, repurposed and ready to adorn your wall or table.
Custom orders welcome!
Social Media: @greeneyepresses on Instagram
Ella Cave
Biography: Ella Cave is a 2nd year creative writing major who used to not like poetry. Now, she writes about things she didn’t know could be poetry: her jumbled mess of thoughts and feelings. Ella loves playing ultimate frisbee with her OSU Women’s team The Dinos. When she’s not playing frisbee or dancing or laying in the sun, Ella likes to write about religion, her life, and memories (so she doesn’t forget them). She spends her summers interning with youth at churches and camps to help reach her goal of becoming a youth pastor. Ella likes to use poetry to process her emotions, and practice vulnerability and understanding with herself.
Artist Statement: Ella makes art accidentally. She has some thought or feeling that she just can’t understand, so she writes it down. Ella writes it down to process it, to give it a name. Only after she sets it to rest and rereads it a month later, does she realize how beautiful written emotion really is.
Social Media: @ellarcave
Ella Cliffone
Biography: Ella Cave is a 2nd year creative writing major who used to not like poetry. Now, she writes about things she didn’t know could be poetry: her jumbled mess of thoughts and feelings. Ella loves playing ultimate frisbee with her OSU Women’s team The Dinos. When she’s not playing frisbee or dancing or laying in the sun, Ella likes to write about religion, her life, and memories (so she doesn’t forget them). She spends her summers interning with youth at churches and camps to help reach her goal of becoming a youth pastor. Ella likes to use poetry to process her emotions, and practice vulnerability and understanding with herself.
Artist Statement: Ella makes art accidentally. She has some thought or feeling that she just can’t understand, so she writes it down. Ella writes it down to process it, to give it a name. Only after she sets it to rest and rereads it a month later, does she realize how beautiful written emotion really is.
Social Media: @ellarcave
Ellie Ocel
Biography: Ellie Ocel is a poet of the body and of the world. They are a 2nd year student studying environmental science. She is interested in mutual aid and community resilience, and loves playing the guitar with their friends and picking plums from their neighbor’s trees.
Artist Statement: I have found that to be a poet is to take the most rage-filled memories and tell them, “I love you enough to put you into words.” In this translation of memories, I have found poems of rot and of beauty. In these poems, I seek to break down the dichotomy between nature and humanity, and to show that we are nature. In doing this, I discover whole, radical, and authentic love.
Emily Miller
Biography: I’m a creative writing major who loves to make glass mosaics in my free time. I started making mosaics in my senior year of high school in my glass arts class, and it really stuck with me. I’m hoping to start making them more frequently, and possibly start selling them too.
Artist Statement: This was the second ever mosaic I made in my glass arts class. It was inspired by one of my favorite moments in a video game I love that centers around a rose. I have 4 main steps in making mosaics. I first cut the glass, tumble it, glue down the pieces, and then fill in the gaps with grout. My favorite part is to glue down all of the pieces, since it feels like one big chaotic puzzle to get it to fit all together.
Social Media: @mosaicsbyem
Emma Evans
Biography: I am a first year queer artist originally from Washington state! My work is pretty diverse because I work with a wide range of medias, but my favorite pieces are always in black and white. I love creating art inspired by Pacific Northwest flora and fauna. Animals seem to sneak their way into a majority of my pieces, though.
Artist Statement: Music is one of my biggest artistic influences. Whenever I hear a song that particularly hits hard, I feel the need to create pieces that invoke a similar emotion to that of the song. I love matching up aspects of natures to different genres of music.
Social Media: @lavenderlatte on Instagram
Eva Israelsen
Biography: Eva is a 3rd year Studio Art BFA student. She graduated from Kauai High in Hawai’i in 2021 and moved to Corvallis to go to OSU. Her focus is in sculpture and painting and recently has been exploring textile work with her sculptures. She loves to learn to use new mediums and is always curious about other peoples art. She is especially excited to learn welding in her next sculpture class. When she isn’t making art, she is hanging out with her lovely friends, cooking or eating yummy food, or thrifting more trinkets and clothes than she has room for.
Artist Statement: I feel a connection with ribbons because of my mom and the women in my family, and their love for ribbons and textiles. As I have explored the motif of ribbons through different mediums, it has taken on new meanings. I appreciate how they can be the subject, or also be manipulated to create the subject. For me, their meaning is constantly evolving, and in these works represents girlhood, womanhood, trauma, and family ties.
Social Media: @eva.izzy on Instagram
Flora Snowden
Biography: Flora Snowden is a student poet studying English and Creative Writing at OSU. She is the recipient of the 2023 Provost Literary Prize and an Academy of American Poets University Prize. She has interned at CALYX, the Independent Publisher of Art and Literature by Women, as an archivist. Her work has appeared in Prism, on the Oregon State University website, and the Academy of American Poets website, poets.org. Flora’s cat, Shmoko, a Taraus Sun–Scorpio Moon–Ares Rising, lives with her and is her greatest supporter.
Artist Statement: Thank you for reading; I hope that the steps or the pancake batter made you feel heard a little better. This is my favorite thing to do. Thank you for being one of the reasons I get to do it.
Forrest Klamath
Biography: Forrest Klamath (they/them) is an Indigenous writer, student, and scholar, working toward an equitable and honest future for marginalized and displaced peoples.
Artist Statement: My poetry focuses presents my feelings and lived experiences while living in multiple identities- queer, indigenous, androgynous, trauma survivor, and as an ICWA-removed child struggling to find community and Tribal histories. My writing is a ceremony, it is my connection to my ancestors. It is through the act of writing that I can enter and engage with the ephemeral sphere of my past kin, it’s where they share with me their pains, their joys, their journeys. It is with a pen that I bring these stories into the present with honor and pride.
Social Media: @forrest_klamath
Grace Maynard
Biography: These videos are taken of me and my dance partner, Joshua Leung (he/him), performing Quickstep and Cha Cha. We are members of the Oregon Dancesport team here at Oregon State University, and we are prepping for a big competition in New York City this December.
Artist Statement: I started doing competitive ballroom last year with the team, having little to no dance experience before this. It is such a pleasure to be able to learn so many different styles and techniques that allow me unlock different sides of my personality into my dances, and what I can do with its musicality. Dance has given me not just confidence on the floor, but also a wonderful and supportive community of many other talented dancers.
Social Media: @gracie_may03 on Instagram
Guinnevere Phelps
Biography: I was born in New York City, NY, and grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico before moving to Oregon in 2015. I’ve always been very lucky in the sense all my life I’ve been surrounded by people who support me, which is why I’ve come as far as I have. The undying support of my three cats has also been massively helpful, much love to Poe, Little Guy, and Goose.
Artist Statement: I’ve been drawing since I was little, but in the last three years I’ve become more confident and comfortable with my personal art style. For a long time I hated the way I drew, which is a mindset I think hurts a lot of young artists. I’m proud to say that I’ve been able to grow out of that way of thinking, and just embrace creation for what it is to me (making stuff that I think looks cool haha).
Social Media: @guinnevere @s4vc3
Hannah Lull
Biography: I’m a fourth-year creative writing major with an applied journalism minor. I’m copy editor for The Daily Barometer newspaper and I write for Beaver’s Digest as well.
Artist Statement: I like dabbling in multiple different genres of writing, whether that’s journalistic, creative, nonfiction, fiction, or poetry writing. I feel like I communicate best through my writing and having the opportunity to share my work whenever I can, makes me more passionate to continue my writing career.
Social Media: @hannah.lull on Instagram
Ivy Odette
Biography: Ivy is a 17 year old student at OSU who grew up watching cartoons and surrounded by nature. She is from Portland, Oregon but now lives in the Columbia River Gorge. She likes spending her time watching animated shows and films, drawing mythic creatures, foraging mushrooms, and playing video games at the end of the day.
Artist Statement: Ivy has always found herself inspired by the cartoons she watched as a kid, such as Adventure Time, Steven Universe, and Over The Garden Wall. She has a fascination for world building and would love to make a story of her own one day that includes harpies, orcs, and other unique beings.
Social Media: @mossforivy on Instagram and @mosslikesbirds on TikTok
Jaeden Kapur
Biography: I am an Oregon State University Ecampus student studying environmental science. I have been writing for as long as I can remember as a way to process my thoughts and emotions.
Artist Statement: Blame the Wood: This one was inspired by the way societal norms and power structures are based on faulty logic like stereotypes.
Nightmare: I wrote this as a way to come to terms with my experiences with a false alarm shooting several years ago.
Jean Webb-Bowen
Biography: I am a Graphic Design student at Oregon State University who enjoys creating art. I enjoy experimenting across all mediums, my favorite being oil pastels. I look forward to continuing to grow and explore as an artist during my time here at Oregon State University.
Artist Statement: Most of my personal art begins through an exploration of my relationship with self and the world around me. I find that creating art is a great way to begin to understand yourself and the world around you more as your focus is on how to create a work representational of those things. I also incorporate this into my Graphic Design work as applicable.
Social Media: Artist Site
Jiratana Tungkawachara
Biography: Hello!! My name is Jiratana, and I’m a person who likes to try all sorts of new things all of the time! Even as someone not pursuing it, I’ve definitely done at least something in every field of art, and I intend to keep exploring more and more unique art forms. Art has always been a huge part of my life. Ever since I was old enough to grasp a means of creating, I’ve been creating art. It’s probably been the most consistent thing in my life, and it’s the only thing that’s kept me sane all of this time.
Artist Statement: I take a lot of my artistic inspiration from different emotions, both what I do feel and want to feel. I guess that’s pretty uniform with most artists out there, but I really want to emphasize my honest emotions above anything else. There’s also this mentality when it comes to my work where I’ll keep adding on to something unsatisfactory in different ways until I’m a little more proud of it, even if it’s not perfect. In a way, it’s like giving the piece these small mutations, and I think that I live my life with similar principles as well.
John McKee
Biography: John McKee is a wildlife biology student at Oregon State University in their online program. He retired from the Air Force and currently resides in Tucson. He specializes in pencil drawing and watercolor painting, especially in wildlife.
Artist Statement: I enjoy nature and want to paint what I see. Dante said, “Art, as far as it is able, follows nature as a pupil imitates his master; thus your art must be, as it were, God’s grandchild.” I want to replicate the beauty of nature and show the expressions of people.
Social Media: Facebook
Jozie Billings
Biography: A bear coming out of hibernation to share some art for your enjoyment. Now if you don’t mind, I am so eepy and the earth is calling me to rest once again. The bear is an anthropology and queer studies student in their final year, desperately in need of this sleep.
Artist Statement: My work often comes from my mental state, in my case often anxiety, and from my everyday experiences. I create art to express the things I don’t have words for, and that often comes out in the form of body horror, bones, rot, and decay. I also create things to express the simultaneous mundanity and absurdity of everyday life. I’ll see something, such as a small duck in a field, and be overwhelmed with the need to capture it in art.
Keahna Ranck
Biography: Kae is a queer artist from Eugene who focuses on gender identity, self expression, and what it means to be human. They’re currently living in Corvallis, and are currently very happy spending time with their cat Bug in between classes.
Artist Statement: I make my pieces to help cope with the enormity that gender identity is. As a non-binary individual, I particularly enjoy experimenting with how far I can push the human body in terms of feminine, masculine, and androgynous ideas, and also like to question what those labels even mean.
Social Media: @kranck222 and @kranck222art
Keaton Kahn
Biography: I am a History major at OSU, i’m the vice president of the new Cosplay Club on campus a veteran and an intermediate level cosplayer. Cosplaying has allowed me to connect with people, which i was having a hard time doing before.
Artist Statement: I make Armored cosplays using mostly 3d printed parts. I make, or modify files, size them to me or the person, print them, then finish them. I also vacuum form visors and do other necessary procedures to allow the cosplay to look as good as possible.
Social Media: @kahn_319 on Instagram
Kelly Kiel
Biography: I am a graphic design student at Oregon State. I have been making music for several years, starting before attending college. I currently have two singles and one EP that can be found on most streaming platforms. I have even more music that can be found on my Soundcloud profile. Find it all at “Kelly Kiel.”
Artist Statement: I strive to improve my music over time as I learn more about aspects of music composition and music technology. I hope that you enjoy what I have so far.
Social Media: @kellykielmusic
Kimberly Oshiro
Biography: I’m a senior studying Digital Communication Arts with a minor in Asian Languages and Cultures and Studio Art. I was born and raised in Honolulu, HI, and I moved to Oregon for college to get outside of my small bubble and experience life where seasons exist (lol). Throughout my college career, I’ve experienced a year online, performed in culture shows, and embarked on a study abroad. I’m excited (and nervous) to wrap it up as I get ready to graduate this year. Wish me luck!
Artist Statement: I started doing art as a kid drawing dragons, unicorns, and my favorite anime characters. They impacted my style and inspiration over the years, and I continue to look up to many manga/anime artists today. I’ve also been getting into painting, graphic design, film, videography, annnd I’m all over the place haha. My artistic goal nowadays is to see how I can learn from each of these mediums to achieve the looks that I want in my art, especially when it comes to bringing creatures and worlds from my imagination to life. I look forward to continuing to grow as an artist and learning from the people around me.
Social Media: @minusamillion
Kirsten Lee
Biography: I’m a digital artist and have been since 2015. I adore drawing and most of my pieces are made spontaneously. They are rarely ever planned since I like to create in the moment. I sketch until I come to a good starting point, and I work the pieces to completion, figuring out everything that’s needed as I create it.
Artist Statement: “Ribbon” and “Between Dreams” were made because I am a night owl. I didn’t plan on it but when I was sketching I ended up creating drawings that seem to encapsulate the way I feel at night. It’s quiet. It’s peaceful. There is nothing else except my dreams and imagination. I would say “Ribbon” is more of the waking up aspect, though I leave it open to interpretation, while “Between Dreams” is when you fall deeper into slumber, hopping between dreams. Either way, they’re simply manifestations of my late-night mind. Together, I call them “the nightgown girls.”
Kyra Smith
Biography: I am from a small town in Washington and moved to Corvallis this fall to start my first year here at Oregon State University. I am majoring in geology. Outside of my schoolwork, I like to spend time creating art, reading, or taking walks outside. I have been enjoying my time at OSU so much and cannot wait to see what happens in the future.
Artist Statement: The art that I create is inspired by many things. I have been around artwork and creative people from a young age, as many members of my family are artists as well. They all inspire me with their works, and specially my mother has been a huge inspiration for me. I enjoy using many different mediums, but I am particularly drawn to pen and paper, as well as watercolor. To generate ideas for new pieces, I like to take walks outside, as nature is a big part of the art I create.
Layne Bolen
Biography: I’ve written 5 short poems about nature. I’m trying to convey the most in as few words as possible.
Artist Statement: It’s the little things that inspire me, like a puddle or a full leaf. I don’t like writing about the grand things, they get enough attention.
Lexi Geampa
Biography: In her third year as a Human Development and Family Science major, Lexi Geampa, a self-taught artist from Newport, Oregon, has integrated her passion for art into her academic journey. Initially creating nature-inspired paintings and drawings, Lexi’s artistic evolution took a transformative turn with the discovery of the Craft Center at Oregon State University. Here, she delved into self-education, mastering hand-built ceramic cups and exploring the world of stained glass.
Artist Statement: After being introduced to the ceramic studio by a previous roommate, I immediately fell in love with hand building ceramics as I found the process to be quite therapeutic. I first started focusing on creating tentacle mugs and mushroom cups as a reflection of the values of my hometown, Newport, Oregon. I always strive to challenge myself and often ask people to recommend me to make certain things to push myself and see what I’m capable of. Every time I go to the Craft Center I always leave with a sense of pride and joy knowing that I took a ball of clay and made it into a beautiful sculpture. I’m inspired to create as I find art to be a perfect gift for others and something that I can take great pride in.
Social Media: @funky_fungus_artwork
Liam Murphy
Biography: I am a fifth year undergraduate student with majors in Civil Engineering and Creative Writing. I moved out to Oregon from Taos, a small town in northern New Mexico where I pretty much spent the entirety of my life. And I also just really, really like art (both as a viewer and creator), with the main standouts being drawing, painting, photography, film, music, dancing, and, of course, the one I actually do the most work in, writing. I’m hoping that someday, one of those will work out for me in some way!
Artist Statement: No matter the genre or medium, I find that I tend to create art pretty selfishly. Even when its writing or drawing outside of my own experiences, it’s always grounded through some part of my own feelings that, I hope, will be conveyed in a way that’s both intelligible and compelling to the reader or viewer. But sometimes even that isn’t true, honestly. Sometimes the pieces I make are just the things I thought should be made!
Social Media: @lmcobra505
Lily Toenjes
Biography: My name is Lily Toenjes, and I’m a first year at OSU. I’ve been creating art all my life, never knowing it would have such a large impact. A form of play and fun turned into therapy and awareness of mental health as I grew older. Some of the biggest influences on my art would have to be Jeff Koons and Jackie Liu (and my art teacher for pushing me to reach my full potential). I hope that one day my art can shed more light on mental health, and let people know that they are not alone.
Artist Statement: This piece represents the past and present versions of myself. The arms/hands represent me now, “buckling” my younger self up for what’s to come. The overall vision of this piece was to show the innocence of an untouched child, juxtaposed with the harsh truth of a scarred 18-year-old. I made a series of pieces showing my personal experience of mental illnesses caused by family-related childhood trauma, this being one of them.
Social Media: @lilytoen_ and @lilyart67 on Instagram
Lisa Dahl
Biography: I was born in Mount Pleasant, Utah. Graduated from Elko High School (Nevada) in 2005. I’ve always been an artist and writer but never full time. I grew up poor. I learned real quickly I needed to work to survive as I’ve lived in 5 different states including Oregon. I just moved to Minneapolis, MN to start over. I’m majoring in Sociology at Oregon State University to do both passions: activism and art. Art is the beauty needed in the world when all else fails. It tricks the matrix. It’s a needed love letter whether in grief or joy.
Artist Statement: I am a self taught artist and writer who has taken a few classes here and there but mainly taught within my own sacred space, whether at home or outside. My source of inspiration comes from nature and the pain of humanity or my own. And lately, my inspiration are raindrops upon nature and enhancing the color in editing. I also love capturing nature, people, culture and architecture as I travel. If I could travel and do photography that would be the dream. The beauty of art is that it’s subjective, providing multiple perspectives and inclusive: that feeds my soul.
Social Media: @punsoflife.art on Instagram
Mason
Biography: Mason is a first year at OSU studying Kinesiology. He plays guitar and sings in his free time, and he is trying to find his place in Oregon after moving from Georgetown, Texas.
Artist Statement: I take pictures of the things I want to remember, the stories that I see in the things around me. I particularly like taking portraits as there’s so much beauty and emotion to be found in someone’s expression or posture. I hope any viewers imagine what the subject, rather than the onlooker, feels within the frame.
Social Media: @milesmason.photography
McKenzie Klecker
Biography: My name is McKenzie Klecker and I am a junior studying Creative Writing and Spanish. Likewise I am a lover of all things creative including words, language and multi-media art. Acrylic on canvas is my preferred medium but I began with the fundamentals of pencil and paper cultivating black and white realistic sketches. Since, I have adventured into the world of abstract and surrealism and enjoy playing with vivid colors and imagery.
Artist Statement: My art tells stories and conveys emotions that I find I cannot express in other ways. It is an outlet for me when I feel the happiest and when I hit my darkest patches. In that way, art is there for me when no one or nothing else can be. I create art because it gives me meaning and I hope for others to find meaning of their own in my work. I feel the most beautiful when I am being creative and the most connected to myself and for that, I will forever be grateful to my inner artist and the other creatives in this world who’s art I too can enjoy and pull inspiration from.
Social Media: @mckenzieklecker_14 on Instagram
Max Cheskin
Biography: At the start of the pandemic, I began taking part in Game Jams. These are informal, generally online events where upwards of hundreds of strangers organize themselves into small teas (3-5 is best) and work together to create small video games under tight deadlines, generally a week. I have participated in 9 jams, and made 6 games to some degree of completion. The first of these, Darkened, “won” first place out of 51 entries by community vote. Due to how simple and small these games are, they have been made free for anyone to enjoy as they see fit. To reiterate, please note that I did not draw, compose, or otherwise create assets for these games. That credit goes to others. My sole credit is the concepts, design, and code of the games.
Artist Statement: Video game development is an inherently collaborative practice. It involves digital art, music composition, narrative storytelling, and of course, programming. Coordinating with other specialists is paramount. All of my submissions to this journal contain links to other people. More than the problem-solving aspect, beyond the artistic expression, greater than the satisfaction of a job well-done, is the fun of discovering leagues of new people to work with. Even though my work so far simply amounts to just learning and practice, the people I have found have been as enjoyable an aspect of the medium as my own journey of growth.
Social Media: @HeartBox1 on Discord and Artist Site
Natalie Donato
Biography: I’m an artist that works in digital and traditional mediums and an amateur wildlife photographer, as well as a second-year student studying marine biology and ecology, working with research subjects ranging from mussels and barnacles to sharks. I’ve had a lifelong interest in marine science and animals of all kinds, which is frequently reflected in my art and photography. That same interest in further understanding the natural world around me also led me to pick up art and photography at an early age, and I have been self-taught since, through curiosity and plenty of trial and error.
Artist Statement:Combining my interests in art, photography and science, I create pieces that highlight the intricate details of the species I encounter through my work or in nature around me. By focusing on a central subject, it brings a depth and life to the animals that I see when observing them in their natural habitat, the same vibrant character that inspired me to study them in the first place. I hope to convey that character and personality of the subjects through my photography and scientific illustration to show the intricacies within the ordinary, inspiring others to learn more about the subjects.
Natalie Galbraith
Biography: I am a senior studying digital communication arts and photography. I have always loved admiring and creating art whether that be painting, drawing, music, etc. I love all kinds of arts and crafts but my main medium is currently photography.
Artist Statement: Photography, painting, and fused glass are just a few of realms I have explored artistically. I have been on a creative journey since I could hold a pencil. I am often drawn to nature in my art, but I also like to create art that critiques society beyond the visual narrative.
Social Media: @_natmosphere
Natalie Norris
Biography: Hey! I’m Natalie Norris! Originally, I’m from Southern Oregon, but I’ve found home in Corvallis while I pursue a double major: a bachelor’s of BioHealth Sciences and bachelor’s of Sociology. I have always loved art of all sorts and often jump from medium to medium, but watercolor is one of my favorites. Outside of art I love to play the violin, dance, and hike!
Artist Statement: I think I’ve always created art as a means to help people understand how I see the world around me and its endless wonders, tragedies, and simple pleasures. Conversation is lovely, but it can’t capture the feeling of seeing your best friend for the last time or reading the best book you’ve ever read. Art can. I grew up admiring poetry and visual art that made me feel so intensely understood that I hope to be able to make other people feel that way with art, too, and that is why I create.
Social Media: @juniperhoneybee on Instagram and TikTok
Nat Whitaker
Biography: I’m Nat, a genderqueer freshman at OSU majoring in Environmental Science. I’m a self taught artist who has experimented in all sorts of mediums. The only required skill for an artist is the obsessive need to create. I’ve been obsessively creating since 2019, and each of my paintings approaches a glimpse into my brain. I encourage anyone considering getting into art to go for it.
Artist Statement: I make paintings that capture my curiosity and ignite the curiosity within my inner child. I purposefully break the “rules of painting,” I follow my impulsivity. I go into painting with a little to no plan, just a feeling. I paint the first impulsive thought that comes to mind, and follow it until that feeling has been conveyed. This will hurt many artists, but I put paint straight from the tube in the canvas, and mix colors on the canvas. Looking at my art the goal is a general feeling of unease, a feeling that some rule has been broken. I make my art for myself.
Social Media: @gnat_art7
Olivia O’Halloran
Biography: Hello, my name is Olivia, and I am from Damascus, OR. I am a third-year mechanical engineering major with a minor in Aerospace. I primarily draw digital art, but I started out mostly with alcohol markers and dabbled in watercolor. Besides drawing, I love playing tennis, watching cheesy sci-fi, and occasionally playing my Alto saxophone.
Artist Statement: My art commonly portrays themes of elegance and strength because that is what I admire. My style utilizes sharp lines and harsh shadows; I feel as if it shows that every aspect of a piece is intentional. There is also something to be said about a well-fitted suit, the creases of a face, or the minute details of a background that are just so enchanting.
Social Media: @simple_liv_ on Instagram
Rachel Snyder
Biography: I am a psychology major with minors in both writing and English at Oregon State University. My passion in life lies in either helping people or inspiring them; the inspiration resulting in anything from tears to laughter. I find writing is a great way to accomplish both.
Artist Statement: My writing takes many forms, my current favorites being flash fiction and poetry. I have a tendency to soak up what I experience in my life, making my pieces equate to the soapy water that can be rung from a sponge, except hopefully much more vibrant.
Social Media: @rach_snyder on Instagram
Rebecca Knight
Biography: I am originally from Bend, Oregon, and I am a second year oceanography student at Oregon State.
Artist Statement: I am inspired by the works of Robin Wall Kimmerer, Mary Oliver, and Michael Christie.
Reid Myers
Biography: My name is Reid, I am an avid photographer, guitarist, and outdoorsman. I like my coffee every morning and my skills are always evolving. I love film photography and digital alike, and believe each is a tool to capture the human nature in us all.
Artist Statement: Flow for lack of a better word is my approach. When a photo can give me the kind of tightness in my chest. The imperfections and innate power come through, so to describe how a piece of art works for an individual is, priceless. My photography is not perfect, it never will be, and I don’t want it to be.
Social Media: @myers1.4 on Instagram
Rhys Hodson
Biography: Rhys is a creative writing/English major from Eugene, Oregon. They are queer and disabled, and have a passion for creating stories that reflect those experiences. He has been writing for as long as he can remember, and hopes to one day publish all the stories rattling around in their head.
Artist Statement: I have been writing stories for as long as I’ve been able to hold a pencil. Influenced by media like Studio Ghibli, I like to tell stories about messy, complicated relationships and structures where no one person is the bad guy–and in fact, where maybe the “bad guys” are actually just victims of a larger structure. My goal is to make even just one person feel as touched by my work as I have with my own favorite stories–and as a queer and disabled individual, helping bring more representation and understanding is just another bonus!
RĪKKĒR
Biography: My name is RĪKKĒR, and I am an electronic audio producer from Oregon. Throughout my life, music has always been a huge influence on my character. Both my parents are musically gifted, and they’ve always supported my musical aspirations. I’ve always enjoyed music no matter what the genre is and in my music, I try to reflect this through the use of different sounds and chord progressions.
Artist Statement: I’ve always had an interest in music, and it has always been a huge part of my life. Through musical expression, we are able to look at ourselves through different perspectives. The whole process of learning how to express my thoughts and emotions through my music has been very healing. The vision with all my music is to make the listener feel something, even if it’s from their own emotional perspective.
Social Media: @RĪKKĒR on SoundCloud
Ryaan Akmal
Biography: Ryaan Akmal is a fourth year BioHealth Sciences student at OSU, and while he’s always been interested in poetry and prose, there are many other hobbies that take most of his time, from board games to movies and beyond. Most of his public art is in the form of music released with the indie band Out of Luck, where he’s made and played the guitar parts and worked on some of the lyric writing for their 6 song EP.
Artist Statement: The pieces I chose to submit were mostly born from the fantastic Narrative Medicine class taught by Jennifer Richter. For these writings, I wanted to explore a broad range of vocabulary and style, ranging from very dark and cinematic, to conversational, to almost comedic. Through all of the various tones, I have always had a deep care for rhythm and flow in my writing, that I find to be its key element. I hope someone out there was able to have nearly as much fun reading my poems as I had writing them!
Rose Dixon
Biography: Hello there! My name is Rose (she/her). I’m a self-taught artist, a zoology major, and a proud member of the LGBTQ community. I use my art as a method of communication and self-expression. As an avid fan of horror, the majority of my artwork can be categorized as residing within the genre.
Artist Statement: An unconventional artist with unconventional methods, I try to communicate the ideas I cannot express in words through my artwork. With my art, I aim to share my experiences with mental illness, identity, and living in an often overwhelming world.
Social Media: @wheattbreadd_ on Instagram and @SpicyyBreadd on X
Rose Roberts
Biography: Rose is a Soil Science major who originally grew up in Massachusetts, surrounded by Puritan ghosts. You can usually find her crouching on the ground looking at a mushroom, a plant, or an exotic critter saying “Ooo what’s this?” She wants to be a good pile of compost when she grows up.
Artist Statement: I like to use poetry to capture the magnitude of some of the experiences I’ve had, whether they are a significant life event, or a passing feeling of grief of contentment. The human experience is filled with beauty and wonder, and to be able to capture even a fraction of my personal experiences with the world and share them with others brings me satisfaction and helps me to feel seen and connected with others.
Sabrina She
Biography: My name is Sabrina and I’m a Senior in Creative Writing and English. I’m from Portland, OR. After graduation, I plan on getting my Masters in Library & Information Sciences, then becoming a public librarian. My favorite author is Carmen Maria Machado, my favorite musical is Fun Home, and my favorite music artist is NoSo.
Artist Statement: I don’t call myself a writer, despite being a writing major. I have never completed anything of my writing outside of schoolwork, so everything I’ve submitted has come from my classes. It’s usually all introspective in some way, usually about my queer identity, my cultural identity, or both. For the past few years, I’ve been steeping in Carmen Maria Machado’s writing. Her work has a strong influence on me and what I produce. I aspire to one day write things that make me feel the same way as I do when I read her work.
Sami Leffler
Biography: Hi, beautiful humans! I’m Sami, a third year horticulture student at OSU studying plant breeding and genetics. I work with a lovely local landscape crew, Red Stem, specializing in sustainable practices and incorporating art and design in landscapes. My artistic mediums include: words, clay, metal, rocks, violin, horses, pictures, and plants. I am the proud mom to Blue, the cat; Fu, the hamster; and two lovely horses, Wren and Rogue, who are my partners in the art of dressage. I hope my art can inspire others to find themselves within the beautiful chaos of life.
Artist Statement: I am inspired by all things decomposing, and how death complements life in many ways. I wish to spread the message that death is not threatening, but it serves as a reason to live. Art which inspires me most is that which depicts age and growth. I love the chemistry behind rot, the message it sends, and the usefulness of decomposition to ecosystems and biodiversity. My jewelry will tarnish, my ceramics will chip, and my cabochons will scuff, but it will show how much love it received in its life and tell a story full of imperfections.
Social Media: @sami.cabs
Sarah Boser
Biography: Sarah Boser is a fourth year student at Oregon State University studying anthropology and Spanish. They are also an interdisciplinary artist interested in trying whatever mediums they can get their hands on. They are from Portland, Oregon.
Artist Statement: For me, art is a process in which I can experiment and understand the world around me. I’m inspired by the natural world, and the weird (but also natural) experience that is being a human. For me a successful art piece is one that forces me change my perspective and look at something in a new way. In my drawing and painting, I’m drawn to expressive mark-making and bold colors.
Sean Counihan
Biography: I hail from the Columbia River Gorge, where the stunning geographical and ecological diversity inspired me to pick up photography as a young teen. More specifically, my interest in photography stemmed from a desire to better document the spiders of the Gorge- my research interests pertain to their diversity and ecology, and I got my start by uploading photos to the citizen science platform iNaturalist. I’m proud of the data I’ve collected over the years, which will hopefully be helpful to arachnologists of the future!
Artist Statement: As an arachnologist, I want to capture the qualities of my subjects that make them distinct and identifiable. As an artist, I want to create a well-composed, pleasing image that illustrates the life and personality of the subject effectively. Naturally, these things overlap! My ultimate aim is to create images that exist as a synthesis of scientific documentation and wildlife photography. I hope that the images I submitted can convey as much about my subjects as possible.
Social Media: @visitsmallworlds on Instagram
SHADYCRYPTID
Biography: SHADYCRYPTID is a hobbyist illustrator and character designer currently studying in Oregon. They are an engineering student currently studying to obtain a degree in electrical and computer engineering. They have been drawing as a side hobby since 2016 and have turned it into their part-time job while they are in school.
Artist Statement: SHADYCRYPTID’s digital art is inspired by their experiences in life and their love of nature. They love illustrating all sorts of wildlife alongside their original characters. Many of their characters are embodiments of themselves and various facets of their personality or phases of life. Their pieces are often abstract versions of the various ups and downs of their life. All of their artwork is done on their Huion Kamvas 16 and Clip Studio Paint.
Social Media: @SHADYCRYPTID on Instagram and X
Shoshana Groom
Biography: Shoshana Groom is a fourth-year sociology major. She’s a current First Reader for Strange Horizons and a volunteer for PRISM, and has previously served as the Deputy Fiction Editor for The Quarryman at University College Cork, the Head Fiction Editor for Tales of Revelry, and a volunteer for Crosscurrents at University of Puget Sound. Her work has previously appeared in Apricity Magazine, Corvid Queen, Tall Tales TV, Gone Lawn and Crosscurrents. She loves ballroom dancing, Country Western dancing, embroidery, and fiction writing. Her heart belongs to her incredibly cute and even more destructive rat, Princess Buttercup.
Artist Statement: I embroider to make beauty, I crochet because I’m cold, I write because I like attention <3 Folklore, feminism, and my uncharacteristic love for humanity inform many of my creations.These pieces could never have been published without the support of those around me. To everyone who helped me edit these pieces, and especially Jeremy, Jessica, and Farren Groom, Dante Kunc, and Chase Schurr, you have my sincerest thanks.
Social Media: @lilyofthewillamettevalley on Instagram and Threads
Siena Buchanan
Biography: I have been writing since I was very little and have never stopped. I wrote my first novel at the age of fifteen, and now, at nineteen, have written six. I enjoy writing because it allows me to put words to experiences that are hard to just come out and speak about–and because people tend to be more receptive to information told through stories over just telling the facts.
Artist Statement: I write because I can’t not write–but also because I feel so strongly to share my experiences and views of the world around me. Many of my stories have inspiration through the natural world or real life–I feel strongly that the best type of stories are those that make you laugh and are left up to you to determine if there is any meaning in them.
Social Media: @lotustheblooming on Instagram
Spencer Daniel
Biography: My name is Spencer and I am a sophomore marine studies student. I have been doing art since I was little and love using graphite and combining styles.
Artist Statement: Art to me is my identity, I have so many different styles and tones I want to convey in what I create, so I try to reflect that. I’m inspired by nature, history, cartoon-like styles, I draw almost everything on paper and then edit them digitally. I love character design and mixing various styles together to make something completely unique.
Social Media: @soencerdaniel on Instagram and @svmaus on X
T.V.G.
Biography: Techno is all you need.
Artist Statement: T.V.G.
Social Media: @tvg_officialmp3 on Instagram and @svmaus on X
Tuva Blom
Biography: Tuva Blom is a Swedish-born writing major at Oregon State in her junior year. She has been writing since age 10 and is currently working on a portfolio of poetry and short stories she is planning on publishing within the next year. Her goal is to work in publishing and eventually get her doctorate in creative writing, with the plan of teaching as a writing professor.
Artist Statement: Writing is the medium I wake up and use every day to process what is happening in the world around me. Every piece of news or information that sticks with me gets its own piece, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to share those pieces. I am generally inspired by all the writers whose work I admire so much: Leila Chatti, Sylvia Plath, and bell hooks, who strive to make a difference in their writing. I hope that as my work makes its way into the world, people find themselves similarly inspired by my work.
Vianne Sarber
Biography: Coming from a small Alaskan town, Vianne Sarber has explored various forms of sculpture since 2015. Transitioning from polymer to porcelain clay, her art delves into themes of mythology, history, and religion. With a passion for the ethereal and intriguing, Vianne aims to infuse stories and myths into her work, creating a narrative-based viewing experience.
Artist Statement: Myths are history narrated through words, while art unfolds stories through form. Nothing brings me greater joy than crafting a sculpture from raw materials, breathing life into them and shaping a narrative from what was once inert matter. Every time I step into the studio, I aim to push the bounds of what porcelain was meant to do, and hope to continue this exploration in the future.
Social Media: @blonde_sculptures on Instagram
Wes Flow
Biography: Full-time student, part-time editor, occasional photographer.
Artist Statement: For someone who wanted to get into art, but who didn’t have the patience for painting, the voice for singing, and who hated the sticky feeling of drying clay, photography was a natural choice.
Social Media: @Best_0f_the_west on Instagram
Zoe Walker
Biography: Zoe Walker is a 4th year creative writing major with the hopes of becoming a full-time novelist in the future. She is the secretary for the Student Literary Club and a volunteer for PRISM. In her free time she enjoys reading, writing, a bit of photography, and creating playlists for literally any occasion. Her favorite things to write are people bickering endlessly and overly poetic descriptions of nature.
Artist Statement: When it comes to artwork, my subjects are eclectic and my interests are varied. Regardless of medium, I find myself returning to things with clean lines and crisp edges—mostly so I can wedge a crowbar under them and pry them apart to see what’s inside. What is the intersection of human and nature and human nature.
Social Media: @z_e_walker on Instagram
Zeva Rosenbaum
Biography: Zeva Rosenbaum is a writer and artist based in Oregon. She has over a decade of experience in writing and photography, and dabbles in drawing, painting, and other art forms. She has written dozens of articles that have been published, and many stories that will be. Some of her focus-topics include mental health, queer experiences, and DEI issues, all of which she likes to incorporate into her writing. Zeva is about to graduate with a creative writing degree, and intends to pursue a creative writing MFA. Her website and other info can be found via her Instagram @zevarosenbaum.
Artist Statement: I’m a writer and creator of things. The best (and maybe only) way I can express myself is on the page, through the lens, and across a canvas. Depending on the day I might be writing a novel, taking photos, recording a song, sewing a dress, painting a galaxy. . . I’m compelled to work on whatever inspires me, and sometimes it’s out of my control.
Social Media: @zevarosenbaum on Instagram
