This year, the Visual Arts students have entitled their graduating exhibition “Asterism”.  A group of stars that form a particular pattern, like Orion’s belt or the Big Dipper, asterisms are immediately recognizable for their unique groupings.  Asterisms are not defined by the boundaries and structures of constellations, making them unified, but not limited.[1]

Interestingly, an asterism is also a term that was used in literature in the mid-nineteenth century.  It is a typographical symbol represented by three asterisks placed in a triangular formation, calling on the astronomical roots of the term.  The purpose of the asterism in this domain is to indicate a shift in thought, or to emphasize a particular passage following the symbol.[2]

The graduating Visual Arts students of 2026 embody the asterism in both the astronomical and literary sense. They are a strong and united collective made of individual, bright stars, recognizable for their talent and drive. They force us to pause, to look, to think. They are the shift in the passage – they stand out and demand attention. With their creativity, they control the narrative. With their passion, they light up the sky. (Amanda Beattie)

Students include:  Kyara Arel, Rita Azar, Alyssa Botardo, Nadia-Jane Bouchard, Natalie Cristina Chavez Yep, Yue Chen, Ailin Cunningham, Bethany D’Souza, Néguisti Daniel-Murana, Cara Draper, Anna Drozhzhin, Tiffany El-Chidiac, Niobé Elisabeth, Jasmine Gagnon, Paloma Ixchel Garcia-Johnston, Goldie Gilmore, Adam Hachem-Marquez, Cyrine Hamouda, Deysiha Kandasamy, Noa Kanfi, Varvara Kartashova, Madison Kennedy, Alisa Kuzmicheva, Heidi Laflèche, Juliane Langlois, Jean-Luc “Jeanie” Lapointe, Bambou Long, Kamea Mancuso, Caitlin McCarthy, Shantie Normandin, Noah Parsons, Ren Patenaude, Timothee Pogorelov, Valeria Yenlin Ponce Flores, Yuri Romishevsky, Marithza Ramos, Joséphine Roy, Kayla Ruccolo-Brown, Alan Rumoroso Enriquez, Ermae Laine Salang, Hemlyne Juliett Simon, Emma Spiezia, Winnie St Preux, Ana Luiza Strazzi Nogueira, Alexandre Sturgeon, Lyna Rym Tiliouine, Vitalia Vovc, and Xiang Xu.

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[1]   Andy Briggs. “What’s a constellation? What’s an asterism.” Earthsky. March 5, 2026. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/definition-what-is-a-constellation-asterism/

[2]   Emdashes. “Triple Star: Typography’s Asterism.” Modern Times Between the Lines. July 26, 2010. https://emdashes.com/2010/07/asterism.php