This year’s exhibition was juried by Ryan McGinness, an internationally recognized artist whose work is included in the permanent collections of institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. McGinness is known for transforming the visual language of signage, symbols, and contemporary iconography into complex paintings, installations, and sculptural works.
McGinness remarked that he was deeply impressed by the quality of work submitted by artists nominated from colleges and universities across the region, making the selection of finalists particularly competitive.
The nine finalists selected for exhibition are:
Caleb Considine, Rose E. Wharton, Angelina Elisa Bernard, Destiny Doss, Bridgit Luisa Espinoza, Charis Cochran, Audrey Lendvay, Heloisa Bienes Chalom, and Melissa de Paula Oliveira.
Both Audrey Lendvay and Rose E. Wharton have developed compelling studio practices that demonstrate conceptual depth, technical sophistication, and distinct artistic voices. Their inclusion in this exhibition highlights the strength of emerging artists within FSU’s Department of Art and reflects the department’s continued emphasis on ambitious research, experimentation, and professional development.
Audrey Lendvay’s work explores landscape and machines as inseparable systems, each defined by finite resources and a limited capacity to absorb human intervention. “I work at the threshold where natural environments and digital infrastructures mirror one another, drawing conceptually from video game collision logic,” while
Rose E. Wharton’s practice is driven by material exploration and understanding. “Using ceramic, mild steel, natural fibers, repurposed textiles, wood, and found objects; I fabricate mixed media sculptures informed by traditional craft techniques and manual labor.”
The exhibition takes place at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, a nationally respected interdisciplinary residency and exhibition center that has hosted luminaries in the art world, including William Kentridge, Carrie Mae Weems, Catherine Opie, and Nick Cave.
The Department of Art congratulates Audrey and Rose on this significant accomplishment and looks forward to following their continued growth and success as artists and scholars.
Rose E. Wharton: Cut From The Same Crop
MIG welded 1/4” and 3/16” mild steel rod armature with 20-gauge mild steel sheet base, lamp components, twined #3 round reed, harvested corn husks and luffa, crocheted repurposed yarn, hand-carved pine wood handle, 2025
Audrey Lendvay: Harbinger: Recombinations
acrylic and screen print on plywood, felt, 2025
Opening Reception
Friday, May 22, 5–7 PM
Pabst Visitor Center & Gallery
Atlantic Center for the Arts
1414 Art Center Avenue
New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
Exhibition Dates: May 26–August 8, 2026
Through the annual University Student Exhibition, Atlantic Center for the Arts honors the outstanding work being produced by state university art students and recognizes their dedication to the pursuit of excellence.
The selection process for this exhibition begins with individual art departments. Department chairs are asked to nominate up to three full-time, degree-seeking students in any medium or style. The quality of work submitted in years past indicates that the departments provide the intellectual and creative direction necessary for students to push their limits, resulting in work that is unique in its singleness of vision. By identifying and promoting these emerging artists, Atlantic Center hopes to focus statewide attention on the high level of creative and experimental work being produced at the college level throughout Florida’s state university system.
The juror for this year’s exhibition was past Atlantic Center for the Arts Mentoring Artist (2022) Ryan McGinness.
