As the semester draws closer to its end, we are all faced with final projects, whether they be 10-page papers or a presentation about rocks. For the artistic souls among us, these last few weeks hold the pinnacle of their college career: their final showcase.

I’ve long had an appreciation for art, as many do, I suppose. I had the special privilege of writing the fine arts beat when I was part of the Life section of The Daily Evergreen, giving me the chance to talk with artists and hear their backstories and inspirations.

This comes with its downfalls, too. I’ve never considered myself much of an artist. I enjoy writing, but when I tried creative writing for a class, it was a disaster. I don’t understand proportions enough to paint what I picture in my head. This one time I tried sewing, and my mom ended up having to save my project. Basically, I have not found an art method I feel comfortable and natural with.

However, there are some people on campus who are damn good artists. There are amazing dancers and writers and painters, and I want to take this opportunity to highlight a few.

Although not necessarily considered a visual art, the LandEscapes literary journal publishes every year, featuring WSU’s creative writers and poets. I have seen a few of their older publications, and they are quite impressive for how small the journal is. And although mostly focused on verbal art, there is always a theme with each edition, and visual elements get tied into the full book.

Then there is the annual Mom’s Weekend Fashion Show, featuring the work of WSU’s apparel, merchandising, design and textiles students. A good friend of mine, and fellow editor, was a part of last year’s show, and their work was truly stunning. There is something outlandish about the fashion industry – the fashion shows are glamorous, the clothes wild – and that magic makes its way to small-town Pullman through the apparel and design students.

And of course, there’s the fine arts students. The Bachelors of Fine Arts display has come to campus again to showcase the senior fine arts students’ final projects. From experience going to past exhibits, these always seem to be very interesting, with unique approaches to modern themes. Which is my way of saying that I usually have no idea what the theme is or what the art pieces are supposed to represent.

But isn’t that the beauty of art? Your kid can draw you a beautiful blob that they claim is a horse, and you can frame it and it becomes your most prized possession. After all, art is subjective, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

So, let’s honor these beautiful artists and their beautiful work, because let’s face it, these guys could be famous one day, and you can say “Yeah, I didn’t actually know them, but this one time I read in Mint that they were gonna do a thing. That counts, right?”

And who knows, maybe we’ll be writing about you next year. Keep working on those crayon drawings, you might be the next Picasso.

Jennifer Ladwig is a senior communication major from Washougal. She can be contacted at [email protected].