More than 100 student projects – from scientific research to retro-inspired artwork – will be on display at PennWest California’s annual Strike-A-Spark Conference on April 16, 2025.
Now in its 10th year, the conference at the Convention Center will feature posters, panels, oral presentations, art exhibitions, and performances. There will also be 12 honors thesis presentations at the conference.
A centerpiece of this year’s theme, Reimagine, Reinvent, Renew, is an immersive, diner-themed art gallery. Designed to look like a 1990s diner with retro booths, neon lights and nostalgic wall decor, the exhibit features student artwork from all three PennWest campuses, including photography, painting, performance, theatrical design, and graphic design.
“This theme will revamp the venue by having artwork and designs throughout the gallery to develop a sense of nostalgia for the viewer and blur the lines between art and everyday life,” said Krystal Anderson, the lead artist behind the exhibition.
Anderson, a senior theatre major, said she was inspired by the food props she created for theatre productions and TikTok videos of other art galleries featuring restaurants and grocery store themes.
“The goal of this project is to give the artist a chance to create new works and to collaborate with other artists who are in different departments to make a show,” said Anderson.
To bring her vision to life, she assembled a cross-disciplinary team that includes Maya Anderson, a senior finance major, Ariel Schurg, a senior history major, Haj Abdullah, a junior management major, Faith Mukora, a senior communication studies major, and Arsyn Csencsics, a sophomore psychology major.
“We want to provide a space that allows students to step out of the classroom to interact, experience, and learn about different art forms right here on campus,” said Anderson. “We also want to reach local community members and give them a fun and inviting art gallery.”
Strike-a-Spark runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. PennWest President, Dr. Jon Anderson, will deliver the keynote address at 11 a.m. The theatre department will also present excerpts from its spring productions, Bright Star and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
This is followed by an alumni panel featuring former students sharing their journeys from PennWest to their current careers. Alumni on the panels include Amanda Folkemer from
the Environmental Protection Agency, anthropologist Tish Neiberg, Ashley Potts, Vice President of Operations at Wayspring, and Hannah Wyman, retail reporter at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
To learn more or view the full schedule, visit the Strike-a-Spark website (https://www.pennwest.edu/about/events/strike-a-spark/index.php).
