Converse Kennedy found his passion and future career aspirations through investigating different types of art at Slippery Rock University.
Kennedy, a senior art major from Loveland, Ohio (Moeller HS), was one of nearly 30 SRU students who presented at the “In the Making” art exhibition that showcased interdisciplinary works from SRU students at the Butler Art Center, Nov. 4-7. The title “In the Making” refers to college students taking their first step into lifelong journeys in art.
“Whether that is through our profession or something that’s more of a hobby,” Kennedy said, “or something we do when we’re stressed or when we’re happy, whatever it is, this is the beginning of that journey.”
One of Kennedy’s projects at the exhibition was called “Mirror Man.” The photograph depicted a man in a black full body suit covered in small, circular mirrors.
“The whole project was based on reflection,” Kennedy said. “So, I thought, What better than putting mirrors on a person and having him walk around campus as a public art piece?”
Along with attempting to incite personal reflection in others through “Mirror Man,” Kennedy consistently uses personal reflection himself to better his art.
“My experience at SRU has taught me to look at art through different lenses,” Kennedy said. “I always find myself asking my professors what I could do to make pieces better, looking at past artworks and art history, and taking inspiration from them.”
Some of that reflection comes from art history and the related strategies Kennedy has picked up at the University. He recalled another project on display at the exhibition where he used metalworking.
“In my metal piece, I took inspiration from Picasso,” Kennedy said. “I keep gathering new ideas based off what my peers are doing, based on what professors are telling me, and I feel like I’ve grown tremendously in these four years.
“The faculty are tremendous. Every step of what I do, I receive constant feedback, hearing what I could do better, what is or isn’t working. I’m going to miss all of that and I’m trying to take advantage of that and develop those relationships.”
It is not just a completed piece that can serve as a point of inflection for students, but the process of creation also helps artists such as Kennedy figure out who they are.
“My experience at SRU has been a mix of hard work in classes and in the studios and then finding my best friends and a great group of people,” Kennedy said. “(Through my time at SRU), I’ve been finding who I am, the kind of man I want to be when I graduate and the kind of person I want to be.”
Kennedy aspires to work in photography, whether that means sports, portraits, events, weddings or a broader culminating role.
Kennedy currently works on campus as a photographer on the marketing team for the Student Engagement and Leadership Office, a role which allows him to do all different kinds of photography assignments on campus including the Rock the Weekend programming.
More information about the Bachelor of Fine Arts at SRU is available on the program’s webpage.
