An upcoming exhibit at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU Texas will highlight the works of American artists who used the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea for their inspiration. "Mediterranea" will open with a gallery talk by Mark A. White, Director of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma and Curator of the exhibit, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 14.

The touring exhibition is comprised of works by 19th century American expatriate artists in Italy and features works by artists such as William Merritt Chase, Elihu Vedder, Frank Duveneck, and Charles Caryl Coleman. This exhibition reveals a specifically American view of the Mediterranean that circulated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It will be on display through Sept. 1.

The exhibit is from the Graham D. Williford Collection and made possible by the Graham and Jean Davoe Williford Charitable Trust. Graham Williford was born in Fairfield, Texas, in 1926 and became a renowned art collector. His pieces range from the "Mediterranea" collection, to other collections including silver pieces housed in the Dallas Museum of Art and the American Silver Gallery.

Last year, the WFMA received a $5,000 Arts Create grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts that helped bring "Mediterranea" to the museum, and in turn, will provide valuable art experiences to the community of Wichita Falls.

WFMA hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Contact the museum at 940-397-8900 for more information.