OCTC Art Faculty Member Abbi Ruppert Featured in Kentucky-Wide Art Exhibit

"In CommonWealth: Kentucky Art, Craft, & Design" at Eastern Kentucky University's Giles Gallery in Richmond on display from January 28 to February 20, 2025

by Katie Powers

Owensboro, KY (01/13/2025) — Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) is excited to share that Abbi Ruppert, a member of our art faculty and Associate in Fine Arts - Visual Art program coordinator, will be featured in the juried exhibition In CommonWealth: Kentucky Art, Craft, & Design at Eastern Kentucky University's Giles Gallery in Richmond. This exhibit, showcasing 57 selected works from over 200 submissions, runs from January 28 to February 20, 2025.

Dr. Scott Williams, OCTC president shared, "We are thrilled to see Abbi Ruppert representing our college in such a prestigious exhibit. Her talent and dedication to her craft are an inspiration to our students and a testament to the quality of education and creativity we foster at OCTC."

The exhibit highlights the connections between art, craft, and design. It explores the Kentucky landscape, both rural and urban, which is home to makers of extraordinary merit, making the creative industry one of the largest economic forces in the commonwealth. This exhibit focuses on key motivations behind creative work, such as personal expression, functionality, problem-solving, and tradition. By bringing these areas together, In CommonWealth encourages conversations about both the similarities and differences in how art is made in Kentucky.

Dr. Meredith Skaggs, head of the Heritage, Humanities, and Fine Arts department at OCTC added, "Abbi leads our Visual Arts students in and out of the classroom. Abbi's inclusion in this exhibit demonstrates her artistic talent and respect from her peers but also gives our students courage by leading the way in sharing her work in public spaces. I'm proud to of Abbi's leadership and artistry."

In addition to having her work featured, Ruppert will attend a reception and networking event later this semester to connect with other artists and educators from across Kentucky.

"I am thrilled to take part in this exhibition celebrating Kentucky's rich creative dialogue and excited to connect with some of our greatest contemporary artists from across the Commonwealth," said Ruppert. "I graciously appreciate my colleagues at OCTC for supporting me along my professional artistic career. Staying creatively and professionally fulfilled ensures that I show up as the best possible mentor for my students. By actively continuing to create and share my work, I hope my students witness a firsthand example that a flourishing art practice is possible."

Abbi Ruppert joined OCTC's faculty on August 1, 2023. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) and a Master of Arts from West Virginia University (WVU). Ruppert is a sculptor, printmaker, and installation artist whose work has gained recognition in multiple venues. Her achievements include a large-scale public installation on WVU's Evansdale Campus, a Rooms to Let installation in Cleveland, Ohio, and awards like the People's Choice Award for her sculpture Revival in the Art in Public Places exhibition in Knoxville, Tennessee. She also received the 2020 Outstanding Student Achievement Award in Contemporary Sculpture from the International Sculpture Center.

For more information about Abbi Ruppert and her work, visit abbiruppert.com. If you're interested in taking any art classes or joining the OCTC Associate in Fine Arts - Visual Art program, please feel free to contact Program Coordinator, Abbi Ruppert at abbi.ruppert@kctcs.edu.

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