Dordt University art major showcases "Be Kind to Little Me" exhibit at Campus Center Art Gallery

Dordt University’s Art & Design Department will hold a senior art exhibit for Katie Kendrick, a senior art and education major from Clearwater, Minnesota. The show is entitled “Be Kind to Little Me” and will be held April 17 – 28 in the Campus Center Art Gallery. A reception will take place on Saturday, April 22 at 3 p.m.

The mixed media exhibit focuses on two themes: creating out of enjoyment (versus creating based on others’ expectations) and treating oneself with compassion. To do this, Kendrick looks at her childhood self, exploring her imagination and what she loved through painting memories of her childhood stuffed animals.

“I chose to create a mixed media exhibit because I love making lots of different types of art,” says Kendrick. “I want my art to be messy and playful, and this theme can best be illustrated through using different mediums. ‘Be Kind to Little Me’ primarily utilizes gouache paint—my favorite medium—and how it pairs with ink, colored pencil, graphic design, tempera, and more. These mediums are all brought together by a cohesive theme and color palette.”

Kendrick says that, through “Be Kind to Little Me,” she can learn to be kinder to who she is currently. “Likewise, I want my audience to learn to show compassion to their younger selves so they may better understand how they are made in God’s image.”

Inspired by comics and animated films, Kendrick says that when she was a child she learned about expressive character design through reading Calvin and Hobbes and Garfield and also enjoyed watching behind-the-scenes DVDs of her favorite Pixar films. She learned that art is for all ages, and that made her excited to “get better at making what I love.”

Looking back at her time at Dordt, Kendrick values the relationships she has built with her professors and peers. “I communicate with my professors often, and I trust that I will have them as mentors for the rest of my life,” she says. “Likewise, Dordt’s small class sizes allowed me to get to know my peers and see their individual skills. My classmates and my teachers challenged my ideas of artmaking and inspired me to create more imaginative works.”

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.