Three graduating seniors at Syracuse University—Lily Ryan, Rumini “Rumi” Nguyen, and Zoe Requena Bustillo—are preparing capstone projects for a final exhibition at the Warehouse Gallery, culminating their studio arts B.F.A. program. Ryan’s work explores queer identity, nostalgia, and the uncanny through mixed-media tinkering; Nguyen crochets objects from memory to process homesickness; and Requena Bustillo creates a puppet theater addressing Venezuelan history, displacement, and immigration.
This article matters because it highlights how art education fosters personal and artistic growth, with students using their final projects to grapple with identity, heritage, and emotion. It underscores the role of university art programs in nurturing emerging voices and the importance of capstone exhibitions as a bridge from academic training to professional practice.