The second senior exhibit of the school year showcases the work of three graduating seniors working with artist books (paper sculpture), graphic design, painting and mixed media.
Tre August, Houston, Nick Collins, Boise, Idaho, and Yuretzi Licea, Newton, all have art on display in the Regier Art Gallery through May 10. The reception will be May 8 from 7-9 p.m. at the gallery in Luyken Fine Arts Center on campus.
Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 2-4 p.m. There is no admission charge.
All three students will graduate from Bethel May 10 with bachelor’s degrees in art. August is completing teacher education certification as well.
August has a lifelong interest in art, with a passion “for making artwork never seen before” – a journey he says began with graffiti and mixed media and moved into a concentration on graphic design.
One of his largest projects as a student was painting a college restroom in a graffiti style, and he does graffiti design, brand design, character gaming design and customization work in his spare time, He will be completing student teaching at Goessel High School and plans to work in K-12 education.
August says in his artist statement that he hopes his paintings and drawings will “make people step back and wonder: What could art look like in future times?”
He began his senior project with compositions of famous paintings, changing “bits and pieces to give a mechanical and futuristic feel. I used graphic design software as well as paint and colored pencil.
“[One] goal [is] to change perspectives and open the mind to creativity. [Another] is for viewers to see how the past can be inspirational but also be an influence.”
Collins was born and raised in Boise, and considers himself defined by both his love of the rugged beauty of the Idaho landscape and his commitment to service.
After 12 years in the United States Air Force, he came to Bethel to pursue an art major with a concentration in graphic design. He plans to continue his career in the Air Force, hoping to find opportunities to use his creative skills with smaller businesses.
Collins’ senior project, titled “Where My Footsteps Meet the Foothills,” tells the story of connection between a personal journey and the foothills of a city.
Collins has created eight distinct, oversized boot prints, each with a different key feature of the foothills around Boise.
His designs are meant to evoke the iconic “National Park” design, reflecting various terrains, flora and fauna that might be encountered there.
“The footprints act as a reminder that wherever we tread, we both carry and simultaneously imprint on the local geography,” Collins says in his artist statement.
His work is deeply influenced by “a childhood spent outdoors, where the textures and vistas of the Treasure Valley shaped [my] visual sensibility. By blending the precision of graphic design with a raw, personal appreciation for the environment, [I] invite viewers to consider the marks we leave on our surroundings and the marks those surroundings leave on us.”
Licea’s project “[explores] childhood memories, nostalgia and Hispanic culture, using fabric, thread, books and embroidery, each with personal significance,” she says in her artist statement.
“Every material tells a story: canvas from a past job; thread from my grandmother; books I have kept.”
Licea’s plans for after Bethel include applying to graduate school.
Bethel is a four-year liberal arts college founded in 1887 and is the oldest Mennonite college in North America. Bethel is ranked #25 in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Regional College Midwest for 2026. Bethel was the only Kansas college or university to be named a Truth, Community Healing and Transformation (TCHT) Campus Center, in 2021. For more information, see www.bethelks.edu
