Minot State University is opening its annual senior art exhibition entitled “Roots” with a reception on Friday from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Walter Piehl Gallery at the Northwest Arts Center at MSU. During the reception, there will be a gallery talk with the artists starting at 7 p.m.

Three MSU art seniors, Bernadine Stevens, Cassidy Holmes and Jyris Jiles, are putting their own spin on the theme, “Roots,” with their capstone exhibits, each one highlighting the skills they’ve learned after years of practicing art at the collegiate level.

New Town artist Stevens pays homage to her heritage, childhood and identity in her show, “Nostalgia,” which focuses on ceramics and drawing. Holmes, mixed media sculpture artist from Spartanburg, South Carolina, ties her work with her childhood interest in insects and the life cycle in her show, “+Phototaxis.” Photographer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Jiles, focuses on the perpetual cycle of gang violence and the lives lost in the struggle in his show entitled “Ghetto History.”

“Roots” will be on display until June 10. The Walter Piehl Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturdays from 1-5 p.m. The exhibition is free to the public.