Alexander Reyna, a New York based traditional/digital artist and graphics designer visited the campus on Friday April, 10, giving a lecture to a few dozen students at Meyer’s Auditorium.
He spoke to students about his college experience and the various careers he pursued as well as his impressive accomplishments in the art and gaming industry.
He also left the students with a message that was much more profound.
He connected with the audience immediately, opening his lecture with self-sacrificing humor.
“Being fat and having no friends can work to your advantage,” was displayed on the first projection of his slideshow.
Reyna went on to tell a little about his background.
In high school he had weighed a lot more than his two athletic brothers and was too shy and self-conscious to develop many friendships.
Reyna explained that he spent his whole high school and many of his college years avoiding social interaction by hiding out with other social outcasts in the art wings.
Looking at the confident, genuinely happy man who possessed the stage now, nobody would have guessed he would have ever had a hard time fitting in.
The message Reyna brought to Meyer’s Auditorium was one of hope.
He explained how it is never too late to make a change in your life and that making mistakes is fine as long as one does not let anyone keep them down.
He demonstrated this by attempting multiple times to smash a plastic water bottle with his foot, only to find it undamaged when he picked it up.
Reyna interacted with the audience the entire time he was on stage.
He pointed out people wearing shirts he thought were cool as well as told a group of students that they reminded him of the people who would always picked on him in high school.
His high energy and good humor kept the audience captivated for the entire hour he spoke.
When it came time for the question and answer session, the audience responded warmly with many questions.
During the lecture, Reyna gave the audience a glimpse of his past projects.
He showed clips of the Batman game he had worked on for the Playstation 2 as well as a compilation of images that displayed his talents as a designer.
Reyna explained that had he listened to his parents and went after a more practical career, he would never have come close to achieving his dreams.
Reyna received his BFA in Painting from the University of New Hampshire and his MFA in Painting from the Pratt Institute.
He has had solo exhibitions overseas as well as throughout the United States, including New York.
Presently, he is teaching at the School of Visual Arts in New York.
Alexander Reyna has shown in solo exhibitions in New York City and galleries worldwide.
According to his site, his work has been featured in prestigious group shows including the Chelsea Art Museum in Manhattan, the Cheekwood Art Museum in Nashville, the Everson Art Museum at Syracuse University, Rocket Projects in Miami, Spaces Cleveland, and Universities through the world.
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