The Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA) hosted its first Visual Arts Expo on Thursday, March 3 with the intention of provoking thoughtful discussion and recognizing student talent of all types. The Visual Arts Expo was produced in collaboration with the Black Artist Coalition.

Situated in Talley Student Union, the program provided artists with an opportunity to showcase their work and network with other students. Unique Patton, a third-year studying design, shared her art at the expo.

“I like to create stories with my art,” Patton said. “I use a lot of abstract themes with the mission to amplify the voices of people who are underrepresented or unheard.”

Patton learned of the expo through her membership with the Black Artist Coalition. She credits the expo with affording her the chance to showcase different perspectives.

“I just recently started calling myself an artist. It takes a lot of courage to know your worth and to say ‘I am an artist’ or ‘I am a designer,’” Patton said. “This is actually the first time that I am showcasing my work to the public.”

Patton combines her preferred mediums — acrylic paint and web design — to create abstract pieces. Her inspiration from other artists informs Patton’s interests in abstract art.

“If I could collaborate with any artist, living or deceased, then I would choose Jackson Pollock,” Patton said. “I like the energy that he puts into his art and the fact that it’s completely abstract to the extreme.”

In addition to prints, the visual arts include jewelry. Lee Chavis-Tartaglia, a first-year studying history, displayed her beaded earrings at the expo.

Chavis-Tartaglia, a Lumbee Native, represents Native Space, a living and learning village at NC State, and the Native American Student Association (NASA).

“I am excited to show indigenous craft and to demonstrate how we have different cultures. For a lot of nations and tribes, beading has been around for centuries,” Chavis-Tartgalia said. “It’s a way to keep traditions and, in a sense, decolonize our spaces.”

Chavis-Tartaglia promotes the art of beading on their social media — LumLeesBeads. At the expo, their creations incorporated many aspects of the natural world, including butterflies and mushrooms.

“I get my inspiration from the world,” Chavis-Tartaglia said. “It could be anything — whatever I can find.”

Madeleine Jenks, a third-year studying computer science, receives inspiration from concept sketches. She names Pokemon as her biggest inspiration.

“I am really good at visualizing what I want to draw,” Jenks said. “I have been trying to get into a lot more fan art instead of original art because it connects with people better. It’s also within my own interests.”

Jenks implements several mediums to capture her art. Her expo table featured crochet, digital media and freehand drawings.

“I think that I just get bored with one medium after a while,” Jenks said. “So, I will get burnt out. I want to move around to different mediums so that I can stay productive.”

The relaxed atmosphere of the expo appealed to Jenks who credits a friend with encouraging her to attend.

“I am used to selling at markets,” Jenks said. “This is more central. I like that people come here to see art and not just as something to buy.”

Students who missed the Visual Arts Expo will have another opportunity to interact with their peers’ art at the 2022 Student Art Sale, held on Friday, April 15.