Spring Student Art Purchase

Earlier this year committee members visited the Westwood Gallery to view many different works of art made by the hands of students here at Purdue University. After much deliberation Theresa Barrett's Stranded was chosen.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing the talented artist. Theresa Barrett has been interested in art ever since she could remember. When she was young she would often draw landscapes or animals and characters like Simba and Nala from the Lion King for practice with her colored pencils. In high school one of her art teachers entered a piece of hers into a competition, so this is not the first time she has been publicly displayed.

While researching for ideas she looked through a magazine and came across a picture of African refugees. It was such a powerful picture that she felt inspired to create Stranded. Her inspiration for pieces like Stranded comes from her fascination with faces. "People are so interesting to me, especially strangers. I find myself constantly wondering about their story and where they’ve been in life..." she stated in a recent interview. "The message of this particular piece is the importance of those around you. Life is so precious you need to surround yourself with people who truly care about you..."

Now in her fourth year at Purdue Theresa Barrett is majoring in Law and Society with a minor in Italian Studies and Psychology. After graduating in May Theresa is not sure where the road of life will take her but she has high hopes for the future.