Northwestern to host senior art exhibit

Jordan Van Dyke of Hospers, Iowa, a senior art major at Northwestern College, will display her work March 27 through April 3 in the college’s Te Paske Gallery. A public reception is scheduled for Friday, March 30, at 7 p.m.

“Are You Seeing This?” consists of six 4-by-4-foot paintings by Van Dyke—created while she was blindfolded—that explore the connection between the physical world and her Christian faith.

Van Dyke compares her novel approach to a common practice during prayer.

“Closing my eyes limits the distractions and provides a freedom to focus on the spiritual realm,” she says. “By taking away my sight, I reduce my dependence on vision. In a way, this balances out my physical and spiritual senses.”

Van Dyke paints using acrylics and joint compound on panel. The resulting thickness allows her to more easily feel what she is doing, while the paintings’ monochromatic color schemes limit the visual aspects of her work. Carved into the paintings are indecipherable words that illustrate the physicality of written words but also hint at the spiritual nature of the spoken word.

Van Dyke’s major in studio art includes a concentration in painting. After graduating from Northwestern, she wants to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree and eventually teach art.

Northwestern’s Te Paske Gallery is located in the Thea G. Korver Visual Arts Center, on Highway 10 at 214 8th Street SW in Orange City. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to midnight Sunday.