Kimberly Dominguez might experience more monumental weeks in her life, but for now, this will be a big one.
Dominguez is one of eight seniors in Slippery Rock University’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program who for the past week or so have been sharing some of the work they’ve produced at the Martha Gault Art Gallery.
And on Saturday, Dec. 13, Dominguez will receive her diploma at the university’s Fall 2025 Commencement Ceremony at Morrow Field House.
That won’t be the end of the education line for the Robinson Township resident, though, as she’ll move on to complete her student teaching requirement through Carlow University. The Montour High School graduate will work with budding artists at Propel Montour Elementary School and a high school in Homestead.
Eventually, Dominguez said, her goal is establish herself as an art teacher, wherever that takes her.
“I also want to have my own studio where I can teach, exhibit and create, whether in my community or somewhere else,” she said. “I definitely want to use it as a way to help my community.”
The 25-year-old Dominguez has been hooked on art since she was 4 years old, when she could be found drawing and singing among other family members who shared her love of art.
“I always had my hands in something creative – arts and crafts, sculpture, paper, digital arts – anything I could create something from,” she said. “I love everything art.”
Diagnosed with auditory processing disorder, she had to overcome academic challenges. That hasn’t been the case when it comes to the arts, however.
“I have excelled in art,” she said. “I’ve always felt it’s been the best way to express myself – to articulate and process my feelings. It’s just where I’ve felt the most like me.”
Dominguez said she enjoyed other classes “but art is something that came naturally.
“I want to share that joy and explorative feeling with others,” she said, looking ahead to her days as an art teacher. “It’s fun to do, but it’s also very therapeutic and healing. It helps you understand yourself as a person one way or the other.”
While she’s always been drawn to art – she considers painting to be her specialty – she was no whiz at a young age.
“If you saw my art when I was 4, you wouldn’t put it in a gallery,” she said with a laugh. “But it’s all about trial and error. You have to be willing to make mistakes and to learn and grow from them. It’s really just about trusting the process and growing from it. I didn’t get to where I am without practicing all the time and enjoying what I’m doing.”
She put plenty of work into the exhibition currently on display at the Martha Gault Art Gallery, at 108 Maltby Ave. in Slippery Rock. Her portion of the exhibition, which closes at 5 p.m. Thursday, features a series of five paintings titled “In Their Silence.”
Dominguez said the idea came to her after hearing a Ted Talk presentation on YouTube that focused on vulnerability and shame. She wound up thinking about that in the context of men and boys, and how they’re taught to “walk it off” when faced with difficult or painful experiences.
“There’s a societal expectation of men having to hold things in,” she said. “There are so many examples throughout the years that show how this is damaging and creating monsters in our society. There’s no need to be treating people this way. We shouldn’t be teaching young boys to act tough and to not show vulnerability or tenderness. That’s a human emotion, and it’s healthier to process it than to put it aside.”
Dominguez said her paintings feature her fiancé, who she said has been through some challenging times. One of the pieces is a portrait of him.
“It’s not one of him being miserable or sad or downtrodden,” Dominguez said. “It shows him as the person I see, who despite all the things that have happened to him is still very resilient. He’s the epitome of masculinity. He’s strong, but still kind and aware of what he feels and what others feel.”
Dominguez’s next project will see her working with students of all ages. She said when it comes to grading young children on their art projects she’ll have standards to consider.
“But it’s more about the effort that they put in than the quality of the work,” she said. “You can tell if someone was working instead of goofing off or doming something very quickly.”
Dominguez learned some of the basics of painting during her pre-teen years when she attended art classes at the Father Ryan Arts Center in McKees Rocks. She said her painting teacher there “really helped me understand the use of color and composition.”
She put that knowledge to good use early on, as she entered a national St. Patrick’s Day art contest at the age of 12 and won a visit to the Irish consulate in New York. As she progressed through school, she said other teachers helped her improve her technique, including the late Daniel Balcerek, who taught Dominguez at David E. Williams Middle School – and gave her a “C” in an art class.
“It didn’t dissuade me in any way,” she said of the “C” grade. “He really cared about his students – he tried his best to work with everyone, especially kids with troubled backgrounds. He was a very good art teacher – he very much helped students to the best of their abilities.”
Dominguez said that one thing she’ll keep in mind as she embarks on her teaching career is to value what her students produce.
“Children don’t really care what other people think about what they just made,” she said. “They just want to create something and tell you about it. That’s the beautiful thing about children’s art.”
Be First to Comment