Tanner Thompson, an art major at Bemidji State University from Longville, Minn., will be featured in the University’s Talley Gallery beginning April 15.

Thompson’s exhibit, “Ativan Altar,” will feature a collection of paintings and ceramic work. The show, which is appropriate for all audiences, runs through April 30.

“I’ve had an anxious personality since a very young age,” Thompson said. “I have tried to capture the exact moment when these feelings first started; a rush of feelings that consume me on a daily basis. That moment of panic when the only thing I know is fear. My vision becomes blurred, my stomach churns on itself, and I feel disconnected from my body. There is a constant feeling of being overwhelmed and claustrophobic. The thought that there is no escape and I am trapped. All that is clear is a landscape that goes on forever, with no possibility of finding the way out. There is a constant urge to vomit from the simplest of daily tasks and this fear of being watched.

“With such a state of anxiety, the line between excitement and nervousness fades. The mind races with every possible negative thought known, with no sights of alleviation.”

“For years I was given a false sense of hope. Through medication and the idea of prayer, I was told that it isn’t normal to feel this way. I long for the feeling to not be able to feel at all. I decided to go face-to-face with my anxieties by creating odd and creepy creatures representing my dark side. As a result these creatures represent my depressed mind and I try to overcome this.”

An opening reception for “Ativan Altar” is scheduled for 2-6 p.m. Monday, April 15, in the gallery. Refreshments will be available.

Located in Bensen Hall room 212 on the campus of Bemidji State University, the Talley Gallery is barrier-free and open at no charge to the public. All activities in the Talley Gallery are supported by the University’s Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee and Bemidji State University’s Department of Visual Arts.

Hours for the Talley Gallery are Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. All activities in the Talley Gallery are supported by funds from Bemidji State University’s Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee.

For more information, contact Talley Gallery Director Laura Goliaszewski, (218) 755-3708, lgoliaszewski@bemidjistate.edu.

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Talley Gallery