When Rebekah Strickbine ‘25 returned to Newman University this spring, she wasn’t returning as a student, but as an artist.
The December graduate walked across the commencement stage in May alongside many of her classmates, but she also returned to campus for another milestone. She showcased her first major illustration series during First Friday in Steckline Gallery.
The exhibition, titled “Walks with Joy,” featured more than 45 original acrylic illustrations created as part of a children’s book project. For Strickbine, the collection symbolized much more than a senior capstone.
“I believe this series represents the culmination of all the most important things I have learned at Newman,” Strickbine said. “It talks about community, personal healing, healthy communication and friendship.”
It also showcased the deeper takeaway from Strickbine’s years at Newman: what kind of message she wanted her artwork to communicate.
Finding purpose through art
When Strickbine arrived at Newman as a first-year student, she knew she loved art. She just didn’t know how to turn her passion into a career.
In an effort to discover her path, Strickbine immersed herself in art classes, participated in the Honors Program, worked for University Relations as a student graphic designer, attended Campus Ministry events, completed multiple graphic design internships and even began building her own art business.
“Ultimately, I landed on pursuing freelance design work, but none of that would be possible today without the 3.5 years I spent at Newman exploring,” she said.
In the summer before her last semester, Strickbine secured an internship with McCurdy Real Estate and Auction. There, she designed marketing materials, assisted with online auctions, conducted competitor research and developed professional communication skills.
“That internship taught me concrete skills in graphic design and marketing,” Strickbine said. “But it also taught me soft skills such as good communication with colleagues and superiors. My bosses in University Relations, Matthew Miller and Amy Brooks, were so patient in teaching me about the different design programs and answering all of my questions. That experience — along with my art and design classes and the Navigator career-development classes — was huge in helping me gain the internship and many other opportunities.”
A story born from the heart
Strickbine’s idea for “Walks with Joy” sparked during Christmas break in 2024, initially in the form of colorful sticky notes and index cards taped to her bedroom wall. Over the following months, the project evolved into a fully illustrated story centered on four characters: Joy, Mabel, Twitch and Twiddle.
At the heart of the story is a lesson Strickbine learned during a difficult season of life: the difference between happiness and joy.
“I found myself wrestling with the question, ‘What does grieving joy look like?'” she said. “For me, my faith in Jesus Christ was the ultimate joy that carried me through, and I can truly say that it was enough. It was more than enough.”
Those themes resonated with audiences in surprising ways, she said.
“Before, when I would create happy, cheerful art, people would see it and smile. They would give compliments and keep walking,” she said. “When people look at this series, they stand and stare for a while. Some of them cry.”
During the First Friday exhibition, visitors entered Steckline Gallery to soft lighting and live harp music. The atmosphere was intentionally designed to feel welcoming for guests.
“As I was describing my vision for the gallery to a friend, he said, ‘You want it to feel like they’re walking into a hug,'” Strickbine said. “I think that summarizes it perfectly.”
Formative faculty and campus opportunities
At Newman, faculty members challenged Strickbine to think more deeply about the purpose behind her work and the stories it could tell.
“The amount of coaching I received during my time at Newman to be able to complete this project is unreal,” Strickbine said. “Professor (Shannon) Johnston challenged me in the best way throughout all of my art classes to think about the meaning behind my work. Professor (Emily) Ritter took an equally beautiful approach, fostering a culture of friendship and support in the art department that truly made creating in community fun.”
Even outside the art department, Strickbine found inspiration. Discussions of beauty, grief, joy and meaning in honors courses helped shape the themes that eventually became the foundation for “Walks with Joy.”
While developing her children’s book project, Strickbine also continued expanding her professional portfolio. Strickbine collaborated with Miller, senior graphic designer, to design pole banners displayed along Newman’s campus sidewalks, many of which celebrated fellow graduates.
Strickbine has also grown through art jobs within her community. She is currently working on an indoor mural project for Country Acres Baptist Church, which includes a world missions map and a visual interpretation of the church’s mission statement. Strickbine is also working part-time for a T-shirt design company called “The Graphic Tee,” which provides flexible, occasional work opportunities for her.
“For me, college was a time where I was surrounded with all of the help and support I needed while I explored life’s options in a hands-on way for myself,” Strickbine said. “I worked for real companies, experienced real work environments and was able to graduate with an art major and business experience, fully informed about my options going forward. My time at Newman was so equipping for everything I’m doing today.”
Carrying joy into the future
As she reflects on her time at Newman, Strickbine sees a dramatic difference between the artist she was as a first-year student and the one she is today.
“My artwork has become so much more confident,” she said. “I feel like I have a clearer idea of what I want to communicate with my work, and I’m able to verbalize the deeper mission behind everything: to bring encouragement, hope and joy.”
The children’s book’s publication plans are still pending, but in the meantime, Strickbine is committed to creating the voice she can through her artwork.
“I’m focusing on creating a cohesive story that says everything I want to say, and I’m letting go of perfectionism a little to allow myself to share this work while it’s in progress,” she said.
Ultimately, however, the project was never meant to be about her story.
“It’s about everyone else’s,” she said.
Explore fine arts programs at Newman University
Newman University’s fine arts program empowers individual artistic expression through a comprehensive curriculum, offering diverse electives including graphic design, photography and sculpture.
