“Making Special” is not a typical name for an art display, but senior art major Tommy Lundberg said it fits his senior art show perfectly.
“People naturally just want to make something, to make art,” Lundberg said. “Professor Bushey called that instinct ‘making special.’ I’m just a continuation of that.”
Lundberg will be showing over 50 pieces of his artwork from his time in the Hillsdale art department in his solo senior art show. The show will be open Nov. 18 through 22 in the Daughtry Art Gallery in the Sage Center for the Arts.
With a focus on drawing and illustration, Lundberg’s artwork has a distinct style, mixing mediums and bold lines. He said his favorite subjects are taken from what he and everyone around him see everyday but drawn in a new fashion or with a different twist.
One of his collections called, “My Town,” features drawings of recognizable buildings and landmarks in Hillsdale. Within this collection, Lundberg has a drawing of Hillsdale’s courthouse. He used pencil, marker, and watercolor to create the finished product.
“I like to trick people,” Lundberg said. “My favorite compliment as an artist is for people to look at my work and say ‘How did you do that?’”
Professor of Art Samuel Knecht said Lundberg has an eye for good composition and bold contrast as well as a good connection to his audience.
When asked what he would miss most about Lundberg when he graduates, Knecht said: “His good cheer. Tommy has good character traits typified by persistence and determination to succeed.”
Originally, Lundberg came to Hillsdale intending to be an economics major, but, by the end of his sophomore year, his love for art and his passion for creativity caused him to switch to an art major, despite many people urging him to pick a more “practical” major.
“I think that many times people forget that whatever you choose to do in college and in life, it’s not the thing itself that will determine whether you are going to be successful or not,” Lundberg said. “It’s the time and the effort you put into it.”
Despite horror stories of starving artists, Lundberg remains undaunted by his choice to pursue a major in art, especially since he has the support of his family behind him.
Kate Lundberg ‘10, his older sister, was also an alumna art major of Hillsdale College and said she is proud of her little brother. She said she encourages him to find what he loves to do.
“I’m really happy that I could go before him and show him that people really can do a job that they love and get to do day in and day out.” Kate Lundberg said.
With the support of his family and his determination to succeed, Tommy Lundberg said he doesn’t think getting a job after college will be any more difficult for him than others.
“You could say good luck getting a job to history majors, or English majors, or science majors,” he said. “Everything we do, there are thousands of other people trying to do the same thing. You’ve just got to be a step ahead of them and work harder than them and you’ll be good.”
But despite the competition and the challenge,Tommy Lundberg said he looks forward to graduation and continuing to “make special” despite the hardships in the art world.
“It’s a challenge, but it’s a fun challenge,” he said.
hleitner@hillsdale.edu