Animalistic Emotion: Rylie Hazelton MFA Thesis Exhibition

25 April — 27 July 2026 with a free opening reception on the evening of Friday, 24 April 2026 6:30pm - 8:00pm at Sternberg Museum of Natural History.

Having sprouted alongside the plants and animals of the Great Plains, Hazelton’s work is driven by a passion and appreciation for the natural world around her. She’s had a life-long interest in the intricacies of the cycle of life, the reliability of the food chain, and the symbolic meaning of each living thing. She defines her work as expressive naturalism—animal figures sculpted realistically but using their symbolism to tell a story of her own life experience. The figures in her work often embody feelings of trauma, anxiety, and stress, as well as love, growth, and community.

Hazelton is a graduate student in the Art Department of Fort Hays State University. She worked with the collection staff of Sternberg Museum of Natural History to study our specimens as background research for her art works. Sternberg Museum is pleased to present this exhibition, which is in partial fulfillment Rylie Hazelton’s Master of Fine Arts degree.