Each year undergraduate and graduate students are nominated by faculty to exhibit
their art works at The President’s House on the University of South Carolina campus.
2024 - 2025 Exhibiting Artists
Jana Willis (Studio Art BFA, Drawing, 2025) Recollection Acrylic paint, 2024 Not for sale
Artist's Statement: There is both comfort and pain in the process of recollection, and I explore this
process through my work. I capture the bittersweet feeling of nostalgia through harmonious
colors, gentle plant life, and my inability to exist in a moment that has long passed.
The specific flora of my painting is drawn from my memory. Inspired by William Morris’
floral wallpaper designs, I arranged my subject matter to create an immersive, living
composition. The careful precision and gentle movement of the plant life reflect the
idealistic lens through which I sometimes view the past.
Bio: Jana Willis is a Drawing BFA student from Fort Mill, SC. Her primary mediums are acrylic paint,
colored pencils, and pens. She gravitates toward creating harmonious works of art.
Madelyn Parrott (Studio Art BFA, Graphic Design + Illustration, 2024) Chance or Destiny? Archival inket print, 2024 Not for sale
Artist's Statement: This poster was created as an entry to the 2023 UCDA student poster design contest,
addressing the prompt “same difference”. The poster compares the differing viewpoints
of “chance” and “destiny,” which may not be as different as they seem.
The left side of the composition portrays chance. It represents the viewpoint that
all that happens to us is based on luck. The right side represents destiny, or the
idea that everything we experience is fated for us. However, my argument considers
that, for example, if you were to roll a die—an action based off “chance”—there is
only one outcome possible. Every factor thus far, including choosing to play the game
with the dice, the surface of the table, and even the grooves in your fingers, culminate
in one “destined” outcome. Looking at it this way, it can be argued that a moment
is not a result of a lucky chance or the web of fate, but instead a result of every
action in your life leading up to this exact moment.
Bio: I’m Madelyn Parrott, a visual storyteller from Florence, SC, and a 2024 graduate from
the University of South Carolina’s Graphic Design and Illustration program. My work
channels a distinctly feminine perspective and centers around bold colors, experimental
typography, and fun illustrations.
Christina McCurry(Art Education BFA, 2025) Cuff of Cocoa Nickel, copper, mixed media, 2023 Sale price: $200
Artist's Statement:Using mixed metals and kitchen caulk, with a sprinkle of cinnamon, this wearable cuff
bracelet embodies the feeling of warmth while sipping on a hot cup of cocoa on a cold
and snowy winter day. While we rarely experience this feeling in Columbia, South Carolina,
it is a sense of familiarity and nostalgia for me as I reflect on my memories of growing
up in small-town Iowa.
Still Life Graphite on Bristol paper, 2023 Sale price: $350
Artist's Statement: When challenged to capture this detailed and beautiful still life, I was confronted
with difficult new textures and swirling glass details. Many hours spent observing
each element resulted in a personal appreciation of the details and values in my own
life. This piece influenced my artistic practice through my ability to observe, and
an understanding that patience with yourself, your practice, and your art results
in an abundance of growth.
Bio: Born and raised in smalltown Iowa, I relocated to Columbia, SC in 2016. I was a part-time
student at USC, while employed full-time, for roughly 7 years. In May 2023 I became
a full-time student and am now in the final stretch to receive a Bachelor of Fine
Arts in Art Education from USC in Spring 2025. I am passionate about learning new
artistic mediums and techniques to incorporate in meaningful ways into the curriculum
of our future generations.
Dayna Brown-Mitchell(Studio Art BA, 2027) Take Me to the River Gelatin silver print, 2024 Sale price: $250
Take Me to the River II Gelatin silver print, 2024 Sale price: $250
Artist's statement: The Take Me to the River series derives from my fascination with water. I strive to capture the beauty, emotion,
and complexity of the movement water brings when roaring up to the shore. As a dancer,
this movement is familiar and comforting. It brings me peace and tranquility. Waves
crashing against a large bolder remind me of the Flamenco, a dance that is strong
and powerful, where a calming stream of water reminds me of the Waltz. I am interested
in conversations about water as meaning and myth. Ultimately, these photographs celebrate
the beauty and intricacies of the earth’s element, water.
Bio: Dayna Brown Mitchell is a Columbia artist known for her jewelry designs and her photography.
Originally from Brooklyn NYC, her love for photography started as a teenager where
she was always snapping photos at family gatherings. Her passion for photography
was going to Central Park and Prospect Park capturing nature or street photography,
capturing everyday life. Her goal in life is a solo photography exhibition displaying
her love for black and white gelatin silver prints.
Veronica Matlosz (Studio Art BFA, Photography, 2024) The House Archival inkjet print, 2024 Not for sale
Artist's statement: The House is the centerpiece to a larger body of work titled The Deer Miss You. The composition is an overlay of my own home, overshadowed and haunted by a steeple,
i.e. the house of God. This work explores the complexity of the Bible Belt and the
impact it has on family dynamic and the individual soul. The visage of Christian iconography
is a powerful one, comforting some and invoking fear in others. The House is interested in what it means to house something, and what happens when you walk
the line of spirituality in the real world.
Bio: A Fine Arts Photographer from South Carolina. BFA graduate from USC. Described as
poetic, cinematic, dramatic, and liminal, my work explores topics like space, family,
and religion. I experiment mostly by using empty space and domestic settings to create
unique universes; a place where these photos would exist uninterrupted.
Joshua Kendrick (Studio Art BFA, Photography, 2025) Untitled Silver gelatin print, 2024 Sale price: $500
Untitled Silver gelatin print, 2024 Sale price: $500
Artist's statement: The art I will be displaying are three separate pieces that were put together to make
two separate pieces. The large piece is printed on glossy paper while the other two
are printed on matte paper. As I have been learning more about photography, I have
become more invested in the process of film and taking pictures manually. I think that the process is somewhat therapeutic, and the frustrations that come with it only feed my passion. I have wanted something
that will frustrate me, but in a good way. Photography in itself is the challenge for me. My appreciation for nature grows as I get older, and I want that
to be seen in the work displayed. The large piece is a stacked negative displaying
two images from the Cayce riverwalk, taken with a Zenza Bronica. The frame with two images is from my first project in my backyard this past
semester. They are also two of the first photos I took with the Bronica.
Bio: Born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, I started taking pictures at nineteen
years old. As a child, I spent a lot of time at church. My mother and grandmother
are the center of my life. My late grandfather was an early father figure, but due
to health issues passed before some big stages of my life. I played sports at a young
age, and dreamt of being a professional athlete. At fifteen, having a spinal fusion played a larger role than I expected in my athletic career. With my condition steering me from a majority of contact sports, I finished high school as a track athlete. As an early college student I went to North Carolina A&T, and found my way back to USC after a full school year. As a student attending USC, I
also coached track and field at Spring Valley High School, my alma mater. In my first
two years as an assistant, I did not own a camera besides the one on my phone. The
Head Jumps Coach that I assisted allowed me to use her camera, and that is where my journey started. We won a 5A Boys
State Championship in my second year coaching; with first, second, and fifth place finishes in triple jump. In the following
two years I was promoted to Head Jumps Coach, winning two more 5A Boys Championships.
Along with first, second, and eighth place finishes in high jump in my final year.
Brooke Zavistaski (Studio Art BA, 2026) Hebrews 9:22 Brass, copper, nickel, plastic, and blood Not for sale
Artist's statement: Taking inspiration from “Hebrews 9:22” which states “without the shedding of blood
there is no forgiveness,” my piece is meant to bring attention how religion often
coopts the idea of God to justify violence, oppression, and mass atrocity. Each pendant
represents a religious icon, historical figure, or community who has been a victim
of religious violence. One side of the pendants features the seal of Joan of Arc,
the image of the Virgin Mary, an indigenous symbol for family, a plane astrolabe invented
by Hypatia, a quote carved into the wall of concentration camp by a Holocaust victim,
and a Keffiyeh pattern, which is a symbol of Palestinian resistance. The other side
of the pendants feature the names of these victims and the death toll from these atrocities.
This piece is meant to bring attention to the historical and current violence justified
by using religion. A reality that individuals need to reflect upon and be brought
to the forefront of public debate so that we can take a stand.
Bio: Brooke Zavistaski (she/her) is an artist originally from Vermont who has lived in
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the last ten years. She is currently attending the
University of South Carolina Honors College where she is pursuing a double major in
Psychology and Art with a minor in Russian. Her greatest art achievements include
her acceptance into the 2022 USC Honors College Art Gallery Showcase and her participation
in the 2022 McMaster Art Gallery Student Competition in which her piece placed 3rd
for undergraduate student works.
Brooke engages in a variety of art mediums including drawing, painting, sculpture,
metalsmithing, and special effects makeup. Brooke is interested in psychology, literature,
Russian culture, and religion. Brooke also takes a variety of artistic inspiration
from her life in Vermont, her friends, her memories, and her dreams. Brooke does not
have a favorite art medium but likes utilizing a variety of techniques and materials
to create works that feature her interests and convey larger societal or religious
messages.
Outside of art, Brooke has a love for comedy, movies, books, memories, psychology,
and absurdism. When not creating art, Brooke is often playing with her dog Peeta,
watching RuPaul’s Drag Race, or engaging in Wikipedia deep dives regarding irrelevant
but interesting topics spanning all time periods and subjects. Brooke is unsure of
her exact career path but hopes to explore more art mediums, combine her artistic
and academic interests in new ways, and share her art with others in the future.
Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.
