Turning Everyday Moments Into Life: Undergraduate Art + Design Student Spotlight

LOGAN — Utah State University senior Shahaley Brandt brings bold color and everyday moments to life in works currently featured in USU’s Undergraduate Exhibition at the Tippetts Gallery.

Brandt, a BFA student with an emphasis in drawing and painting and triple minors in art history, music and entrepreneurship, began her college journey at Weber State University. There, scholarships and the small-campus community made it the right fit to complete two associate degrees (art-preprogram and Spanish). After a break, she sought a new direction and chose USU for a different academic experience and the chance to grow.

On campus, Brandt has served as a proctor at the Academic Testing Center, sung with Institute Singers, and earned multiple honors, including third place at NATS (classical vocal performance) and being a two-time Calvin Fletcher Scholarship recipient. She also expanded her perspective through an art history study abroad in London and Paris this past summer.

“I have always loved being creative,” Brandt said. “I love how people from all walks of life can connect to a piece and how expression can be created through conscious choices made by the artist.”

Her recent work draws on color, daily life and food, translating personal snapshots and memory into vibrant compositions.

“Painting is where it’s at,” Brandt added. “I mostly work with oil and have discovered a love for gouache as well.”

A turning point came in ceramics, where early struggles reshaped her approach to learning and risk-taking.

“I was quite literally the worst one in the class,” Brandt said with a laugh. “I spent hours in the studio to keep up. A visiting ceramicist suggested starting each session with something I knew I could make, and that mindset shift helped me improve — and ceramics became one of my favorite classes.”

Brandt credits faculty mentors Terry Powers, Woody Shepherd, Dan Murphy and Holland Larsen for pushing her practice with constructive critique and consistent encouragement. Her work has also appeared at Muses, an event hosted by USU’s Music Therapy Department, where she experienced the “exhilarating and terrifying” feeling of sharing a piece of herself with the public.

Looking ahead, Brandt is exploring museum work or an apprenticeship with a professional artist.

“Whatever it is, I want to keep being creative and doing something I love,” Brandt said.

When she needs focus, you’ll find her in her campus studio — sunlight streaming in, good tunes on and a canvas waiting.