Top Right: FSW student artwork on display the Sanibel Island BIG ARTS gallery.
Top Left: Faith Arsenault poses in front of her artwork and artist statement. Faith’s paintings drew heavily from her childhood toys and memories of being bored and using her imagination to entertain herself. Her paintings feature nearly 100 unique characters.
Bottom Right: Rhea Schott works on her painting in preparation for the BIG ARTS Sanibel exhibition.
Bottom Left: The FSW student exhibit will be on display through July 24, 2026.
For many students, boredom is something to avoid. For a group of Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) students, it became the foundation for months of research, artistic exploration and creative discovery. This summer, student work examining the theme of “Boredom” is on display at BIG ARTS, the primary cultural and performing arts center on Sanibel Island. The annual collaboration between BIG ARTS and FSW's School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences features visual, written and multimedia works created by students. "The Undergraduate Research course (IDS 2910) functions much like an internship within a professional arts organization," said FSW Visual and Fine Arts professor Lambertus Van Boekel. "Students gain hands-on experience in every stage of developing an exhibition, from collaborating with gallery leadership and preparing artwork for display to promoting the event and presenting their work to the public." The partnership provides students with hands-on professional experience that many emerging artists do not receive until after graduation. While faculty guidance remains an important part of the course, students are responsible for presenting their work to a public audience. For Faith Arsenault, an education major who hopes to become an art teacher, the experience helped her view her artistic abilities in a new light. Arsenault's paintings focus on childhood toys and the role they played in sparking imagination during moments of boredom. They feature nearly 100 miniature figurines inspired by childhood memories that continue to influence her creative process today. Her work has resonated with viewers in ways she didn’t expect. “I never thought people would actually like my art before I was invited to be part of this experience,” Arsenault said. “Since starting this class, it’s made me want to paint more and share my work more openly.” The exhibition includes painting, photography, multimedia projects, creative writing and documentary film, reflecting the many ways students interpreted the theme of boredom. It also features the winning entry from the ART24 competition, along with work from 11 students enrolled in the undergraduate research course and additional contributions from current students and alumni. Among them is Robert Schott, who returned to FSW for the summer session while on break from Florida State University. “There is something here at FSW, where I started my education, that just has so much meaning for me,” Schott said. “There is a sense of community here that I don’t find anywhere else.” His experience highlights the intent behind the course, which is designed to mirror a professional exhibition experience, combining classroom instruction with mentorship from practicing artists and arts professionals. Students work closely with instructors and industry professionals throughout the process, including Lawrence Voytek, former studio assistant to renowned artist Robert Rauschenberg, who advises students on fabrication and technical approaches, and Wilson McCray, gallery director at BIG ARTS, who helps guide artist statements and prepares students for presenting their work publicly. “Presenting finished work in a formal, public setting in a gallery dedicated to bringing fine art to our community is an exciting challenge,” McCray said. “Curation, collaboration, and sharing one’s work takes skill and courage.” While the exhibition provides students with professional experience and mentorship, it also challenges them to engage deeply with a shared research topic. "The theme is successful because it is rooted in a universal human experience," noted Van Boekel. Through partnerships such as BIG ARTS, FSW continues to provide students with opportunities to apply their learning beyond the classroom and think about ways they will contribute after their time at FSW is over. "I took this class as an experiment,” Arsenault said. "I wanted to see if I could do it and whether I could turn it into a career. It taught me how to set goals and think more intentionally about my future." The exhibit runs through July 24, 2026: FSW Student Exhibit