FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 04/17/2017
Ashley H Pollock, Public Relations & Information Coordinator Office: (435) 865-8667
College of Performing and Visual Arts Cell: (435) 590-0961
Southern Utah University [email protected]
Petersen Shines as CPVA Valedictorian
Written by Ashley H Pollock
Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah: Southern Utah University’s College of Performing & Visual Arts (CPVA) is proud to announce Mallory Petersen as the CPVA valedictorian for their convocation at 1 p.m. on April 28, 2017. Petersen will receive her Bachelor of Science in Art with a Museum Studies and Art History minor.
As a child, Petersen always wanted to create and make something with her hands. Thinking creatively came easy to her. She began with perler beads and boondoggle and moved on to drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture. In high school, she only took a few art classes. After graduating, she came to SUU with a scholarship and was impressed with the Art + Design program.
Mallory has a talent that is unmatched. She can use any medium to create gorgeous works of art. Deciding on a specific focus for her art was too difficult because she loves it all. She didn’t want to be limited, so she pursued a Bachelor of Science in Art rather than selecting one area to earn a Bachelor of Fine Art. Her favorite class, Kinetic Sculpture where she was able to make sculptures move, ended up being in an area that she doesn’t regularly work.
Petersen says, “As an artist, I am intrigued by detail. This fascination comes from a combination of my parents' influences. My dad is a science teacher and he always taught me that exploration was a great tool for learning. I especially like to explore the little details I find in nature and the world around me, whether it be in raindrops, the human body, or even chrome. By exploring these details, I discover patterns and gain more knowledge about the object and its fundamental qualities. My mom and grandma, who both studied art in college, taught me to find beauty in these patterns.”
Mallory is a student that gives back. She helped open the new Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA) at the Beverley Center for the Arts. Reece Summers, Executive Director of SUMA, said, “She is self-motivated, self-directed, and gets everything done. I would take a thousand more Mallorys. She is unassuming but absolutely capable in all areas.”
The most fulfilling part of being an artist for her lies in the process of making things work and mastering the medium in which she works. Taking what is in her head and making it a reality through her work. Mallory is inspired by what Jake Parker said, “finished, not perfect.” Petersen went on to say, “As an artist you sometimes have to let go of the control. You might make new discoveries as you let go and stop trying to be perfect.”
After graduation, Mallory will continue to work as an employee of the Southern Utah Museum of Art. She will also continue to create art and never wants her art to become stressful. She wants to keep her art from being tainted by the necessity of work. She said that wherever she ends up, she would like to work in a museum. It keeps her in the art world while allowing her to create in her own time.
Mallory’s art will be on display through April 29, 2017. For more information about Mallory Petersen and to view some of her art pieces, please visit her website at www.mallorys-gallery.com.
About the College of Performing and Visual Arts
The Southern Utah University College of Performing and Visual Arts is comprised of nationally accredited departments of Art and Design, Music, and Dance. The College also offers programs in Theatre Arts, graduate programs in Arts Administration and Music, as well as a Center for Shakespeare Studies. The College offers 16 different degree areas, including liberal arts Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees; professional Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Fine Arts in art and theatre degrees; and Master of Fine Arts in Arts Administration, Master of Arts in Arts Administration, Master of Music Education and Master of Music in Music Technology graduate degrees. More than 60 full- and part-time faculty and staff are engaged in teaching and mentoring nearly 600 majors in the College. Over 1,100 students enroll each year in over 195 arts classes on the SUU campus. The College presents over 100 performances, lectures, presentations, and exhibitions each year. The College’s affiliate organizations include the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA), Utah Shakespeare Festival and SUU’s Ballroom Dance Company. For more information about the College of Performing and Visual Arts, visit www.suu.edu/pva.
###
Do you like this page?