AC Gallery Talk to Explore Fantasy, Connection Through Graduates’ Photography
Two Amarillo College graduates will share the inspiration and creative process behind their photography during a gallery talk at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, in the Southern Light Gallery on the first floor of Ware Student Commons.
The talk will feature the work of Brianna Saucedo and Euly Casias, both of whom graduated from AC in spring 2026. The exhibition will remain on display through Sept. 30. The event and exhibition are free and open to the public.
Saucedo, who earned a degree in the mass media program, will discuss her series “LOVE IRL,” which explores how human connection is changing as technology increasingly shapes the way people interact.
“LOVE IRL” examines the experience of being connected through screens while still feeling separated from one another. Saucedo describes the work as simple and intimate while also creating a sense of discomfort about the increasingly blurred line between digital and physical realities.
Casias, a graphic design program graduate, will present her series centered on mermaids and fantasy. Her self-portraits combine multiple photographs to create images of mermaids viewed through ornate frames, creating a visual pathway between a fantastical world and the real world.
Casias designed the costumes, selected locations, painted her nails and embellished the frames for the photographs used to create the image. The project was created in AC’s Photo Digital Imaging II course, where students were challenged to create a realistic-looking fantasy world using digital photographic composites.
Both projects were selected for the exhibition by René West, AC professor of photography technology and instructor for both graduates.
“Their projects were chosen because I thought the quality of work was well-crafted, thoughtful and beautifully rendered,” West said. “Both projects are surreal and work with themes of escapism and fantasy in their own unique ways.”
West said Casias’ attention to detail and digital-art skills were evident throughout her project, while Saucedo demonstrated an impressive ability to take a concept from its initial vision through casting, costume design, location scouting, directing and photography.
The Southern Light Gallery is located on the first floor of Ware Student Commons, 2201 S. Washington St.