For Audra Miller, “it’s the little things,” in life and especially in art.
The Hesston native and Bethel College graduate, now based in San Francisco for more than a decade, will highlight just that in her exhibit “SMOL” that opens Sept. 30 in Bethel’s Regier Art Gallery in Luyken Fine Arts Center.
“SMOL” will be in the gallery through Oct. 25 but, as part of Bethel’s 2024 Fall Festival, the artist reception is early in the exhibit: Oct. 4 from 6-8 p.m. at the gallery.
Regular gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 2-4 p.m., with extended Fall Fest hours on Saturday, Oct. 5, of 9-5 p.m. There is no admission charge.
Miller recalls walking across the Bethel campus on a sunny day years ago. She passed a father, who appeared to be in a hurry, and his young son, who was not.
She heard the little boy call out, “Hey! Dad!” and the man answer, “What??” with an irritated sigh. The boy was squatted on the ground under his cowboy hat, staring down intently. “Look! It’s a roly-poly!”
“This show celebrates the small guys, the normally overlooked, the underestimated,” Miller says in her artist statement. “In a world that can seem riddled with worry and overwhelming decisions, ‘SMOL’ comes as a much-needed reminder to appreciate the little things.
“There will be plenty of times in life where you have to do something ‘more important.’ Make room for the fun stuff, too.”
The show is mostly digital images, “a fun, whimsical culmination of things that helped fill my days with yuge joy,” she says.
Miller has spent the last decade delving into diverse art mediums. While her primary occupation is as a user experience (UX) designer, she also boasts a successful 15-year career as a professional portrait photographer.
She specializes in engagement, headshot, fashion and wedding photography. Her work uses bold colors and an editorial style.
In her free time, aside from exploring the charming bakeries of San Francisco, cycling up hills or immersing herself in the city’s theater scene, Miller works as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator.
Her artistic creations draw inspiration from the animal kingdom, architectural wonders and, of course, culinary delights.
Bethel is a four-year liberal arts college founded in 1887 and is the oldest Mennonite college in North America. Bethel was the first Kansas college or university to be named a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center, in 2021. For more information, see http://www.bethelks.edu
