Anna Celander combines art, philosophy and international study to enhance her Bradley Experience.

10/28/2011 11:48 AM

Student artist uses profits to fund international experience 

By Ivy Hillman ’12

Anna Celander is a junior art and philosophy major with a lot on her plate. She currently sells original artwork out of her Peoria apartment and in the Chicagoland area.

“I have my work sold in a local art gallery in Homewood, Ill., and currently have a show going on at Fresh Starts Restaurant in Flossmoor, Ill.,” Celander said.

She regularly participates in gallery shows and art fairs, working to gain name recognition and greater exposure for her art. Her pieces always focus on some iconic factor of Chicago 

“Chicago has always been a place of personal discovery for me. It is an amazing city with incredible icons, but I find the torn seats of the commuter trains and parking meters to be especially iconic,” Celander said.

She often crops well-known buildings and other recognizable scenes of the city to allow viewers to relate to what she has created. Her favorite mediums are watered-down acrylic paint and charcoal.

Profits from her art sales helped Celander fund two study abroad experiences. She took a course in England titled “Art and the Human Experience.” It illustrated the connection between art and philosophy and was essential to her education.

“It was an amazing opportunity to have in depth examinations of texts, followed by daily excursions to museums and historical landmarks such as Stonehenge,” Celander said. 

Next spring, she’ll embark on another European adventure. “The opportunity to study abroad adds much more to my education. The experiences shape not only who I am but the person I become,” she said.

Although fine art has always been Celander’s passion, she fell in love with philosophy after taking only one course here at Bradley.

“At first, I thought the two would be tricky to balance but have found that they compliment each other well. The way I look at and interpret the world is developed through each subject,” Celander said.

She recently added a minor in psychology to prepare herself for a graduate degree in art therapy.