Grace Rankin (SO, Gypsum, Kan.) sees a limitless canvas.
It begins with a visual of what Rankin brings to life through her artistry, but more so, an understanding of where this gift comes from.
“I’m obsessed with storytelling,” she said. “It stems from God’s work as an artist and storyteller. He brings it all together. Art bridges the gap between life here on Earth and connecting with God. I can physically paint a picture, but someone can see it and it can affect their soul. That is crazy. Art is a high calling because you need to tread reverently. After all, we’re speaking to people’s hearts. We connect with people in their experiences in what we see and hear.”
Whether it’s the small watercolor business Rankin operates or thinking back to the moments she practiced her craft in her basement growing up, she is grateful that her career has led her to Tabor College.
Looking to find an associate’s degree in art, Rankin visited Tabor and got a firsthand glimpse of classes led by Shin-hee Chin, M.F.A., associate professor of art.
“She invited me to come in and see what they were doing,” Rankin said. “I fell in love with her as a person and told my mom that’s who I wanted to learn under. I didn’t know she was world-famous at the time, but as a person, I really liked her.”
Chin asked Rankin to submit her work to galleries and that happened when her painting, “Sunset in Gypsum, Kan.,” was juried into the 50th Prairie Art Exhibition in Sterling, Kan., in April 2024.
This event was the first of what Rankin hopes to be more in the coming years.
“Every artist has their perspective they’re bringing to their work and you can’t get it anywhere else,” Rankin said. “You’re selling your perspective of the world. Then you wonder if you have a good perspective that people want to hear and Shin-hee will say, ‘You do.’”
A part of a group of roughly 30 art majors, Rankin said it provides the tight-knit community she sought. It rang especially true when her classmates and professors stood alongside her.
“Grace is talented, highly creative, and has a deep love for painting,” Chin said. “I believe the time she spends painting is one of the ways she finds deep fulfillment and joy. Tabor’s excellent liberal arts program and Christian education are crucial for artists like Grace. We’re able to provide a well-rounded education that nurtures both the mind and spirit, which I consider essential for a Christian artist.”
A graduate of Huron High School in Huron Park, Ontario, Canada, Rankin now resides near her mother’s hometown of Gypsum. She said she experienced culture shock when first arriving at Tabor. In her second year on campus, she has flourished in arts activities and attends Parkview Mennonite Brethren Church on Sundays.
“After transferring (in 2023-24), I saw that people here are authentic in their faith,” she said. “I have really enjoyed where I’ve lived (Jost Hall and quad) and being around the girls and the Tabor community.”