04/09/2026
Dean Rusk Winter 2025 Grantee, Adele Oprica ‘26, recently held her senior art exhibition, “Glimpse of the Earth,” at the Smith Gallery in the Visual Arts Center (VAC). 🇮🇪
Reflecting on the overall experience, Adele expresses:
“My senior art exhibition “glimpse of the Earth” was about the awe and grief associated with the fleeting nature of our personal existence; we are witness to the vastness of this ancient Earth and then are gone, only catching a glimpse. During my time in Ireland on a Dean Rusk exploratory grant, I was able to round out this body of work, spending three weeks exploring ringforts and stone circles throughout the Irish landscape. When I first arrived at a site, immediately I was drawn into the shadows of the megalithic stones related to the time of day and the richness of the greenery surrounding them. This became an “aha” moment for me because though I had already been interested in reflections and light, I hadn’t yet connected the way in which the sun itself and the shadows it leaves are indicators of time passing. Upon my return to Davidson, I began working on two mosaic pieces, a sculpture of a European Robin and a more abstract piece on a tree stump. The Robin is seen as a messenger between worlds in Irish folklore, highlighting transience. For both, the way the glass and pebbles played with color and light represented the way that I viewed the stones and forts I visited in Ireland.“ 🌎🇮🇪
The Dean Rusk International Studies Program was quite honored to be able to witness the materialization of all Adele’s hard work and is super proud of what she has accomplished!😊
Bravo, Adele! We can’t wait to see what you do next! 🎨
