Modella Gallery is pleased to share the exhibit, Ascendance 2021, which provides a broad range of works showcasing from both undergraduate and graduate students at Oklahoma State University. The exhibit runs through Oct. 9 with a reception on Fri. Sept. 17 from 5-7.

Ascendance is an annual multi-media exhibition highlighting the technical skill, creativity, conceptual strength, and craftsmanship of OSU students. With art in modern time in mind, the works exhibited aren't themed around a specific idea, but rather the experience of artmaking in a contemporary environment and the artist's response to those environments. This year's show is brought to fruition through the collaborative efforts of Modella Gallery, the Art History Organization at OSU, and the artistic skills of the participants.

This exhibition features a variety of media, including drawings, prints, paintings, ceramics, and multi-media. Together, the works show the artistic flexibility and diversity that OSU students bring to the art department and the wider community of Stillwater. Having the artworks on display is beneficial both to the public and the students, as it offers the students professional development, provides the public with a rewarding experience of the arts and demonstrates that fine arts prevail in the midst of adversity.

All of the works shown have been completed within the last two years, most of which at the outset or during the pandemic. These students have faced unique challenges in their continued creation of works of art, and their perseverance is shown through this exhibition.

Modella Gallery is a non-profit art gallery dedicated to bringing contemporary arts to Stillwater, Oklahoma. The gallery continues to be a program designed to share the works from national and local artists, visual art, performing arts, and hosts special events and projects. Modella Gallery is located at 721 South Main Street in historic downtown Stillwater, Oklahoma. For more information, please contact the gallery at (405) 880-4434 or visit modellaartgallery.org.