The Senior Art Exhibition will be open in the Edward M. Dowd Art and Art History Building until June 12, 2026. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

This year’s graduating seniors in Santa Clara University’s studio art program exhibited their capstone projects at the Edward M. Dowd Art and Art History Building as part of their final undergraduate projects. The capstone exhibition began on May 13 and will end on June 12, and is open for students, staff and community members to view.

With the support from professors and advisors, students designed and edited their exhibits, wrote artist statements and hosted a reception, presenting their completed work to faculty, friends and family.

The exhibit featured the work of 14 students; 10 in the art exhibition and four in the digital design showcase. Many of the pieces drew from personal experiences and individual creative interests. The show featured a range of media, from photography and fashion pieces to digital design.

For many students, the process included struggle, discouragement and exhaustion—but the final exhibit included a range of styles, colors and materials, reflecting the hard work students put into their projects.

From Studio to Story

For the seniors in this year’s exhibit, inspiration shaped both their creative process and the meaning behind their final pieces.

Elise Fendon ’26, a studio art major, created ceramic, pop art-inspired pieces resembling oversized makeup products. Although the sculptures resemble playful cosmetic products, they carry a deeper meaning about femininity and social expectations.

Studio art major Elise Fendon ’26 sculpted a large lipstick and mascara for her senior capstone project. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

“The inspiration was about the control that people have over femininity,” said Fendon. “Essentially, I feel makeup products are representative of the fact that there are always these rules of too much versus too little. So I kind of wanted to make them my statement pieces for this message.”

Fendon said she wanted her pieces to express boldness and rebellion.

“It’s really about rebelling against these traditional ideas of femininity that are being forced onto women all the time, like needing to be quiet and respectable and stuff like that,” said Fendon. “So I wanted to make these giant, loud sculptures that can’t be missed. It’s like a rebellion in your face.”

Alex Franklin ’26 exhibited digital designs that reflected her colorful, bright and expressive personality.

Alex Franklin ’26 talks about her work to family and friends during a reception for the show on Friday, May 15, 2026 at the Edward M. Dowd Art and Art History Building. **(Elaine Zhang/The Santa Clara)**

“I feel like I’m a very high-energy person,” said Franklin. “And so I wanted my work to reflect that, which is why my work is very bright and catches the eye from far away.”

Franklin also wanted her designs to appeal to a wide range of viewers and users.

“I also like to try to keep a variety too,” said Franklin. “So we have some more playful, illustrative works in my website designs, graphic design projects, and then we have something that fits a wider range of users in a more professional, business sort of look to it. It isn’t as illustrated, but shows more of the interaction design part of my portfolio and the user experience.”

Behind the Creative Process

While the finished pieces appeared polished from an audience perspective, students said the creative process was not always easy. From technical issues to broken materials, the seniors faced mistakes, accidents and moments of doubt along the way.

“There were two instances where the tube knocked over, and it cracked,” said Fendon. “The first time it happened, I wasn’t that far along, so I was okay. The second time, I was so discouraged.”

Franklin also faced challenges while working with the laser cutter.

“For the letters, this laser cutter at school oftentimes sort of burnt out, so it would cut half of my stuff,” said Franklin.

Despite these setbacks, both students continued working through the difficulties.

“I wanted to go home that night, but I tried to tell myself that I was gonna regret it; this needs to be dealt with,” said Fendon. “So, I fixed it that night, but those were definitely moments of discouragement.”

Franklin said the process required patience and precision.

“We had to perfectly line it up so the laser would line up again and wouldn’t burn out,” said Franklin. “It was a whole thing. It was really hard to get that to work, but we got it to work, so I was really happy about that.”

Students also received support throughout the process. Professors, including Takeshi Moro, guided them as they prepared their final projects.

“My students didn’t come up to me and say, ‘I don’t want to do this,’” said Moro. “I think they were more professional than that. So they knew what was expected. They really raised the expectations, but you know, I would see students on the weekends, late at night, and I knew they were somewhat stressed.”

A dress created by Liv Vaughan ’26 is photographed in a mirror that is a part of Miriam Chen Lin’s ’26 installation and next to Madeline Patrick’s ’26 painting, all of which are a part of the 2026 Senior Art Exhibition. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

Looking Back on Their Final Year

The graduating seniors have been working on their pieces throughout the year, and some began developing their ideas even earlier. Although the process was difficult at times, students said the excitement of completing and sharing their work helped push them forward.

This year’s Senior Art Exhibition and Digital Design Showcase presented the work of students in the Santa Clara University College of Arts and Sciences. The exhibit also showed how students worked with faculty, friends and family while completing their projects.

Many seniors expressed their gratitude for the family members, friends and professors who supported them throughout their creative process and time at the University.

“I wouldn’t be able to come here if it wasn’t for my family; it just really shaped my path,” said Franklin. “Next year I’m going to grad school, and I couldn’t imagine how my path would have been different if I didn’t come here and do what I did. Even my professors are super experienced, and they took a lot of time out of their day to help me. So I’m very grateful for that.”

Fendon also said her friends played an important role in helping her complete the project.

“I’m so grateful to have such amazing friends,” said Fendon. “I had so many people around me who were willing to bring me stuff or help me out with moving stuff and everything when I really needed it. And also all the people who came here to support me tonight, I think they’ve honestly been very crucial in getting this done.”

Moro also commented on the graduating students.

“We are so proud of them, we really are,” said Moro.

As the Class of 2026 prepares to move forward, the exhibition marks the completion of their work in Santa Clara University’s studio art program and gives viewers a look at the projects they developed during their final year.