Student Showcase by Shawna Donahue

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Andrew Thomas’ comedic take on parenthood is masterfully composited. Congratulations Andrew!

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The Waiting Game (Diptych), Twenty Minutes and Fourteen Days (Single Images), Madeline M. Gentry

It has been one year since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. In this year we have done a lot of waiting. Waiting for a test. Waiting for a cure. Waiting in social isolation. Waiting in self-quarantine. Waiting for this all to be over. While much of the pandemic has been a year of unknown timing, The Waiting Game depicts two measurable intervals of time many have faced in the past year, Twenty Minutes, and Fourteen Days.

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I’m My Mother and I’m Fine, Chy Boyle

Congratulations to Chy Boyle for creating one of the best six-word memoir portraits this semester! Legend has it that when challenged to write a story in six words, Hemingway answered “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” So entered the six-word memoir into the literary canon. Each semester my students create portraits of the individuals described in memoirs from the book, Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. 

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Stitched, Mary Wanacott

Mary created a poignant and reflective digital image composite. I particularly enjoyed her accompanying artist statement:

“Five surgeries and five scars. My foot has been stitched on the left, right, top, and bottom. Stitches connect parts together to create something for an important purpose. Stitches mend something that is damaged. Because of stitches, I can walk.”

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Summer Swim, Jen Merrill

This quirky digital image composite has just the right amount of ambiguous playfulness!

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I turned eleven. No Hogwarts letter, Stacy Dehoyos

Congratulations to Stacy Dehoyos for shooting one of my favorite six-word memoirs last semester! Legend has it that when challenged to write a story in six words, Hemingway answered “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” So entered the six-word memoir into the literary canon. Each semester my students create portraits of the individuals described in memoirs from the book, Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. 

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Jen Merrill’s line study from our field trip to Freak Alley in downtown Boise was one of the best shots last semester. Great work Jen!

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Amanda Richard’s color relationship study contains complimentary and analogous colors. It is also evidence that interesting photos can be found anywhere and don’t require extensive travel, just an open mind and observant eyes. Good work Amanda.

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Congratulations to Corrie Crow-Hamrick for the most interesting shallow depth of field photograph last semester!

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I was born; some assembly required, Art Manny

Congratulations to Art Manny for shooting my favorite six-word memoir last semester! Legend has it that when challenged to write a story in six words, Hemingway answered “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” So entered the six-word memoir into the literary canon. Each semester my students create portraits of the individuals described in memoirs from the book, Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. Manny and his vehicle were born in the same year and both are still works in progress. This image shows how a non traditional perspective can add interest to any subject matter!  

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Still Have not Learned to Swim, D.J. Apostol

Legend has it that Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn,” and so entered the six-word memoir into the literary canon. Each semester my students create portraits of the individuals described in some of the memoirs from the 2008 book, Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure, edited by Rachel Fershleiser and Larry Smith. Congratulations to D.J. Apostol for shooting my favorite six-word memoir this semester. Besides being a skilled photographer, D.J. has been one of the kindest and most generous students (with his knowledge, time and doughnuts) I’ve had the privilege to work with. 

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Possessing a deep and curious intellect, Tiffanie Hsu was one of my most talented  students. Her contemporary homage to the work of Henri Toulouse Lautrec required a high level of technical skill in terms of lighting, image capture and digital compositing. Great work Tiffanie.

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Randy Carr's photogram is elegantly simple.

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Mariana Gutierrez labored over this fox illustration to the point where it entered her dreams. I love how normal, yet odd this photograph feels. Good work Mariana.

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Willow Socia was one of the hardest working students I've ever had the privilege to teach. Her attention to detail was staggering. Today Willow is an artist and production designer specializing in custom costumes, puppets, props and sets for film, video and theater.

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These days Katarzyna Cepek is an accomplished music industry photographer, but while she was a student at Boise State University, she shot a series of color studies. The assignment was to create work in which color is the subject. This can be tricky as "color as subject" is often confused with "a colorful subject." Katarzyna's work asks the viewer to contemplate the intersection of soft pastel colors and harsh, abandoned prison cells. Nice work Katie. 

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A small group of students in an art appreciation class fashioned this collage  exploring visual rhythm. These non art majors handled their task admirably.