Ashley Schultz

My name is Ashley Schultz, and I am graduating with a major in illustration and a minor in art history. When I first came to Stockton, I was unsure what path I wanted to go down. Through my time here I decided to pursue a career in art gallery work and have since interned both at the Noyes Museum of Art in Atlantic City and at Stockton’s own art gallery. Outside of my illustrative work for classes I enjoy exploring print making through Lino cut relief prints and have recently taken an interest in stained glass art and have started to slowly expand into the art form. Alongside my long-term career in gallery work I plan to also pursue my own art as a passion and submit works into galleries as well as perhaps selling my work in my own shop that I hope to establish in the future. My goal with my senior project was to both showcase some of the work I’m proud of while also tying it into a theme that is close to home for me. I wanted to emphasize the importance of human creativity and connection through handmade works that aren’t perfect but still resonate with the viewer. For this I focused my main piece on the expression of emotion and the struggle with depression that I personally face. This display is a combination of print and glass work that utilizes the interaction between the two parts as a representation of reaching out and interacting with depression. The glass work here represents the positive aspects of life like friends, family, and passions that keep you going while the print on the wall represents me struggling with depression on my own. The glass bleeds light onto the prints while the prints mark the glass with ink showing that both sides are marked with struggle but ultimately persevere together with the support of each other. With this piece I wanted to challenge myself to do something I had never attempted before and the easiest way to do that was with feelings and topics that feel close to me. I look forward to creating more work in the future!