Erie, the Schuster Gallery is bringing exotic locations to campus with its new exhibit “Visual Gifts: Home and Abroad.”
The exhibit features 28 carefully selected student photographs taken in stunning locations around the world as well as here in Erie.
According to Lori Steadman, director of the gallery, the theme is intentionally broad to encourage creativity.
Photographs feature such diverse subjects as landscapes, people and animals, and contributions were made by both domestic and global students.
Nadya Makay, a sophomore accounting major, has two pieces in the exhibit.
An Erie native, Makay finds beauty in Lake Erie and frequently features it in her photography. “Lake” captures the charm of Presque Isle at sunset.
Her second photograph, “Ocean,” was taken on a summer vacation in North Carolina.
“I had just taken an early swim in the ocean with my sister,” Makay said. “At that moment, nothing was more beautiful to me than the sunrise shining through the beaded water on her back.”
The result – a frame dominated by the curve of a softly lit, tanned spine – is a stunning portrait of youth and vitality.
“I watched the sunrise every morning of that vacation with her,” Makay added.
Another featured photographer, senior mechanical engineering major Briault Atemazem, hails from the Virgin Islands with familial roots in Cameroon.
In his photograph “Saharan Meets Erie,” he wears a bandana with the colors of Cameroon’s flag wrapped around the lower half of his face as a blizzard swirls around him.
“I wanted to depict the irony of a winter storm and [African] colors while at the same time adding to the aesthetic of snow,” Atemazem said.
“I hoped to inspire others that are not innate to this weather and location that they too can come out, face the winter and most importantly have fun.”
Jacob Genzel, a sophomore physician assistant major, felt honored to have one of the photographs he took on a trip to Thailand chosen for the exhibit.
“Thailand Surprise” captures the bow of a small fishing boat at sunset from Genzel’s point of view as a passenger.
Stop by the gallery to peruse the work of the talented photographers among the student body.
The first reception will be held Nov. 22 as part of International Education Week, and Gallery Night will be held Dec. 6.
Both events will offer free refreshments as well as a chance to interact with the photographers and learn more about their work.
Schuster Gallery is located in the lobby of the Center for Communication and the Arts and is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

ALEX STAUFF
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