Three emerging artists from Algoma University are turning personal and socially relevant experiences into public-facing work this April, as part of their Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Thesis Exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Algoma.
Spanning themes of memory, identity, healing, and lived experience, the exhibitions invite the public into conversations that are often private, overlooked, or unresolved, demonstrating the critical role of art in making sense of complex human experiences.
Presented over the course of the month, the exhibitions feature work by fourth-year students Zach Carr, D’Lyla Maureen, and Ariana Petainen, each offering a distinct artistic approach and perspective.
“Each display is a culmination of years of exploration, experimentation, and critical thinking,” shared Visual Arts Professor Andrea Pinheiro. “Each exhibition is a personal journey, and students are supported to connect their creative work to the community. They graduate with strong artistic voices and an understanding of how their work can shape conversations beyond the classroom.”
Zach Carr: Cats I Know
April 9-12, 2026
In Cats I Know, Carr exhibits a sentimental series of paintings, drawings, and relief prints with varied approaches to style, medium, and composition that appreciate different aspects of the personalities and likenesses of the cats he knows and has known.
D’Lyla Maureen: All 14 Crane Species Dance
April 15-18, 2026
Maureen’s installation work reflects on life after destruction. Through imagery of family, collaboration, and peace symbols, D’lyla Maureen considers sisterhood as critical to a future that creates with the earth to restore and heal ancestral relationships. Through screenprinting, drawing, painting, and sewing to create her installation, D’lyla layers and repeats images to reflect partnership, responsibility and the cyclical nature of perspective.
Ariana Petainen: Unresolved
April 23-26, 2026
Petainen’s exhibition asks the viewer to search to uncover the story as a way of conveying what it is like to navigate a medical issue. Unresolved is a story meant to mirror Petainen’s experiences; dismissed, in a situation of uncertainty, and attempting to make sense of the emotions that come with it.
More than a final project, the BFA Thesis Exhibitions are a cornerstone of Algoma University’s experiential learning approach. Students present professional-level work in a public setting, gaining hands-on experience in exhibition development while building meaningful connections with local audiences, organizations, and cultural spaces.
For more information about the Thesis Exhibitions or theVisual Arts program, please visit @algomauvisualart on Instagram or email [email protected].
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