"Pathway Through Humanity" Exhibition Showcases Emerging Artists at OCTC

Closing Reception May 14, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Dayman Art Gallery

by Bernie Hale

Owensboro, KY (04/28/2026) — "Pathway Through Humanity" Exhibition Showcases Emerging Artists at OCTC

Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) is proud to present Pathway Through Humanity, an Associate in Fine Arts - Visual Art Degree Candidate Exhibition featuring the work of graduating students Wyatt Woods, Selena Lopes, and Kris Grenier. The exhibition will be on display from April 24 through May 14, 2026, in the Dayman Art Gallery, located on the upper level of the Learning Resource Center (LRC/Library) on OCTC's Main Campus.

A closing reception will be held on Thursday, May 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, with refreshments provided.

Pathway Through Humanity highlights the culmination of each artist's academic and creative journey, bringing together a diverse range of perspectives that explore identity, environment, and the shared human experience. Through drawing, painting, fiber art, and mixed media, the exhibition invites viewers to reflect on personal growth, connection to place, and the complexity of being human.

Assistant Professor of Art and Program Coordinator, Abigail Ruppert added, " In addition to showcasing each candidate's persistence and growth during their time in the program, this exhibit provides them the opportunity to collaboratively prepare, curate, install, and de-install a group art exhibition. This is an opportunity most art students don't get to experience until their last year of a bachelor's degree, if at all. Pathway through Humanity (a title chosen collectively by the exhibitors) brings together three students with varied backgrounds and experiences through their intersection at OCTC. It has been a privilege to work with Wyatt, Selena, and Kris over the last two years and witness their growth and tenacity."

Selena Lopes' work reflects a deeply personal exploration of emotional resilience, shaped by her experiences with anxiety, stress, and self-doubt. Her art serves as a means of communication and healing, emphasizing perseverance and the pursuit of confidence through creative expression.

Kris Grenier's multidisciplinary practice is rooted in landscape and lived experience, informed by more than 10,000 miles of backpacking. Through fiber art and painting, she translates memory and environment into immersive works that explore identity, storytelling, and a connection to the natural world.

Wyatt Woods draws inspiration from the structures and patterns found in nature, creating intentional compositions that emphasize how small details contribute to a larger whole. His work reflects a fascination with the interconnectedness between natural systems and artistic design.

(See below for full bios and complete artists statements.)

This exhibition represents the capstone achievements of OCTC's AFA-Visual Art degree candidates, demonstrating both technical skill and conceptual depth. As with past student exhibitions, these works reflect the growth, creativity, and dedication developed throughout the program, preparing students for continued study and professional practice.

The Dayman Art Gallery, is located on the Main Campus at 4800 New Hartford Road, in the Learning Resource Center, on the upper level. The Dayman Gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information about the program, please contact the OCTC Associate in Fine Arts - Visual Art Program Coordinator, Abigail Ruppert, Abbi.ruppert@kctcs.edu.

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SELENA LOPES

Artist Bio

Selena Juliana Lopes is currently completing her degree in Visual Arts - Fine Arts. She was born in Colorado Springs and lived in Woodland Park, Colorado. I moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 2016. Started Associates in Arts, moving to Owensboro, Kentucky in 2022. Being around art was always a part of her life. She finished her degree and graduated with an Associate of Arts degree in December 2024.

She first learned about art and being in art shows in elementary school at Columbine Elementary School in Woodland Park, Colorado. She never really got into art until starting College at South Central Kentucky Community & Technical College in Bowling Green Kentucky, 2017. Her creativity began at a young age; college made it more realistic to see it as a career choice one day. Her goal is to have my own studio to be able to create art and become an at-home photographer. She had some artwork as a child in a couple of exhibits. She has also had artworks featured in the Dayman Art Gallery in Owensboro in the 2025 and 2026.

Artist Statement

I have spent many years learning to communicate. Being someone who struggles with depression, stress, and anxiety in relationships has always been a struggle. The recent work in my art classes shows the struggle; for me, it was hard to even push myself to create, due to stress and always feeling like it's not good enough. My goal is to one day create art that shows confidence. There was a time when I created a superhero woman called Confidence Woman. Whenever I do a project, I think of my superhero Confidence Woman.

I chose to study Visual Arts because I feel like I can allow myself to be fully myself in knowing I can create amazing art. I have always loved creating art throughout grad school. I really started loving art in Elementary school. My teacher, Mrs. Clark (now Mrs. Storm), is a professional artist. I have always admired all my past teachers and their dedication to art. One thing I learned about art is that even if art can sometimes look like you're able to do it, you start to create art like it, then realize it's much harder than it looks.

When I get stuck on an art project, I tell myself to keep trying and to learn from my experience. I have taken many different Art classes. I feel drawing, painting, and sculpting have given me the most challenge. I feel the biggest lesson is not to be afraid if its good enough or not. At the end of the day, it was my creation. Art can be a challenge; it is the hardest thing I have ever done; it is also the best thing I have ever done. I look forward to creating more art in the future.

KRIS GRENIER

Artist Bio

Artist and long-distance hiker Kris Grenier explores the profound connection between identity and environment through her multimedia art practice grounded in landscape and lived experience. Having logged more than 10,000 miles in the backcountry and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies, Grenier considers her role as an artist to go beyond the visual interpretation of wild lands and aspires to kindle a conservation ethos in viewers of her work.

A juried artist in the Kentucky Crafted Program, Grenier was awarded a 2022 Emerging Artist Grant by the Kentucky Arts Council. Her work has been showcased in solo exhibitions around the Ohio Valley and is part of the University of Kentucky's Arts in HealthCare collection. Grenier's work was recently included in the 47th Mid-States Craft Exhibition at the Evansville Museum and Fantastic Fibers 2025 at the Yeiser Art Center.

Grenier was an artist-in-residence at Shenandoah National Park last spring and is a current recipient of the Kentucky Foundation for Women's Art Meets Activism grant, for which she is coordinating a 500-participant statewide art project. Grenier will be sharing her love of fiber art through felting workshops at Peters Valley School of Craft, Snow Farm, and Pocosin Arts in the coming year.

Uncharacteristically, Grenier has no months-long hike planned this summer. Instead, she'll be preparing for a show in Cincinnati, leading workshops, and talking with her cat, Artemisia, who is learning to communicate using speech buttons.

Artist Statement

As an artist and long-distance backpacker, I examine the relationship between identity and environment through a multidisciplinary practice rooted in landscape and lived experience. In hiking more than 10,000 miles, I've collected countless photographs and stories that inform my art practice. By interpreting these experiences into visual art, I create a space for dialogue, introspection, and advocacy about what it means to be human in a world that keeps geologic time.

My artistic adventures begin where my travels end: back at my studio in northern Kentucky. Using both needle-felting and wet-felting techniques, I apply dyed wool onto a background of wool shorn from my family's pet sheep, imbuing my work with a sense of place and gratitude to the natural world. In conjunction, my painting practice allows me to express gesture, color, and shifting light more intuitively. Across both mediums, I consider the interactions of memory and storytelling while celebrating the wonders of the landscape.

Guided by my background in environmental studies, I began felting to relive my experiences and inspire a conservation ethos in viewers of my work. For much of the last decade, I have focused on large-format feltings that evoke the grandeur of expansive natural landscapes, awaken a sense of wonder and reverence, and transport viewers to the backcountry.

Over the past several years, my work has shifted toward a more personal, embodied perspective. As a neurodivergent person with a history of chronic illness, I find solace and empowerment in the wilderness. My incipient body of work, set in the Arizona backcountry, contemplates how landscape and memory intertwine while asserting the right of women to exist in outdoor adventure spaces. Working across mediums, I am examining both physical and emotional relationships to place. I seek to translate not only what a place looks like, but also how it feels and what it signifies.

WYATT WOODS

Artist Bio

Wyatt Woods was raised in a small town in Ohio County, Kentucky. He spent most of his childhood playing outside and exploring the creek near his home. As of now, he is a full-time college student working to complete his Associate Degree in Fine Arts - Visual Art at Owensboro Community and Technical College. His works encapsulate learning processes throughout his time in school and a recurring theme of nature. He has taken many art classes while attending OCTC, ranging from Sculpture and Drawing to Art History. His artwork was part of the Skylark Exhibit in 2025 and 2026, shown at the Dayman Art Gallery.

Artist Statement

As an artist, I am completely fascinated by the structures and patterns of nature. The idea that everything is created with a purpose, no matter how big or small, resonates with me and my work. Every small detail shapes the whole composition of each work, just like how in nature, every detail has a reason.

When creating pieces, whether it be a simple still life or other forms of art, I find it best to start with a plan. I make sure each component of my work has intention and will add to the overall feeling and composition of my art. Using nature as a guide, I look at how patterns and colors can change the way you experience different things. I piece things together using multiple simple sketches to layout my design. Then, from there, I begin choosing which designs I find the strongest and most suitable for the task at hand. Starting with a plan is crucial for giving art a purpose. Deciding which mediums and techniques I will be using is important as well.

The complexity of nature correlates strongly with all art, no matter how simple a piece may look. I try my best to see this connection in all artworks because it helps me recognize the interconnectedness between human creativity and the natural world.

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