What’s your Why?

“Animals in Fancy Clothes” by Julia Renkly.

A close up view of the human head on the rear of the sculpture.

“Come Forth” is a set of ceramic pieces by Sonata Ward-Arrowood, an aspiring art teacher. Ceramics is her favorite medium, and creating these wheel-thrown and hand-built forms has helped her deal with grief in a positive way after losing her mother-in-law to cancer in 2016. Her work is meant to spark the curiosity of the hidden artist inside of everyone.

“Development of Sepsis,” is a series of paintings by artist Mary Wohlford depicting a young woman developing blood poisoning.

Posted Monday, April 21, 2025 2:18 pm

‘What’s Your Why?,’ Buena Vista University’s 2025 Senior Art Show, is on display through May 1 at BVU Art Gallery.

‘Humans are Animals in Fancy Clothes’

Julia Renkly headed to Spirit Lake to sculpt

“Animals in Fancy Clothes” is an ambitious piece by Julia Renkly, who has earned her degree in both Scientific/Pre-Medical Illustration and Studio Art from Buena Vista University.

She is planning to live in Spirit Lake and work for Matuska Taxidermy Supply Company as a sculptor post-graduation.

Inspired by classical artwork from a very young age, she has an innate interest in what makes something “alive” and how to take artwork to the next level to connect with its audience.

She is not afraid of making her audience uncomfortable if it means a revelation or discovery is made by whoever views her artwork.

In “Animals in Fancy Clothes” Renkly depicts multiple limbs from various animals (From top to bottom: Dear head, jumping deer front legs, hare hind legs, chimpanzee arms and a human head).

The deer symbolizes the idea of prey and the majorly exploited animal rarely seen for the living.

The hare is seen as wise due to being born with its eyes open. It was believed carrying around the left foot of a hare would bring its wisdom.

The chimpanzee arms are in a “Madonna/Mother Mary” pose, clasping each other delicately symbolizing the extreme humanity of evolved apes. Chimpanzees are known for their intelligence.

The human head is on the rear of the sculpture. His head is tied so ears are covered and jaw shut like 19th century morgues. He is forced to watch as animals gather the reins and take control with unblinking eyes.

Mixed media and various fabrics were used to show the concept that humans are animals in fancy clothes. The sculpture shows the relationship between nature vs. humanity — if nature were the winning force as opposed to man.

The animal is royalty and is dressed as such, but not even nature nor humanity can escape the exploitation of mankind, the heart of the sculpture lying on the floor as a heartbeat can be heard faintly as the echo of life is barely out of reach. How different are humans and animals when we are made from the same materials, covered in cloth and suffer from the same heartbreak?