Two exhibitions open in Harvey Art Gallery at MSU Texas
The Juanita Harvey Art Gallery at Midwestern State University will open the fall semester with two exhibitions – a solo show by Assistant Professor of Art Jason Bly and an exhibition of prints, photographs, and artist-made books from students inspired during their British Studies experience in London this summer.
The British Studies Program in London is the largest study abroad program at MSU Texas. Professor of Art Catherine Prose led 13 students in the Photography and Printmaking in Great Britain course. The students were immersed in some of the historical European roots of various disciplines within printmaking and photography. Daily field trips to museums such as the Victoria & Albert Museum and workshops at Print Club London and St Bride Foundation helped support this historical perspective.
The London adventure was the trip of a lifetime for printmaking major London Loftice. “It was the best experience I’ve ever had,” Loftice said. “Experiencing the different culture – the food, the people, the art – that was life changing for me.”
While in London, Prose and each student created an edition of 14 screenprints in a hands-on workshop at Print Club London. The 14 screenprints were then exchanged and collated to create 14 portfolios which included a complete set of prints. Each artist received a portfolio of the complete print exchange. Students were asked to create an accordion book that artistically reflected their experience while studying abroad for 31 days.
Prose asked Loftice to curate a collection of photographs taken by fellow students during the study abroad program. She selected a grouping of photographs, printed and framed them, and worked with exhibition preparator Carlos Aleman to install them into this Study Abroad Exhibition.
This was Loftice’s third time to curate an exhibition and the experience aligns with her goal of becoming a gallery curator. She enjoyed choosing art based on how the pieces hang next to each other. “Not everything is going to fit together. The challenge was fun,” she said.
Exhibiting students are Loftice, Erica Bradshaw, Gianna Cook, Will Deshazo, Ethan Dowd, Katherine Hamberg, James Matlock, Analida Morales, Minerva Patino, Jayce Taylor, Amelea Varos, Grace Weaver, and Noah Wilson.
The paintings in Bly’s exhibition examine the present day through the lens of past predictions of the 1950s-1980s. These forecasts, whether in scientific journals or science fiction, saw beyond the year 2000 to a variety of outcomes, whether hopeful or fearful of the future. “Now that we exist within this future, we are able to see that very few of those outcomes took place directly, yet they set into public awareness both the dangers and positive innovations that were becoming possible as time advanced,” Bly said.
Bly portrays these events alongside painted representations of everyday household items that act as symbolic tokens and serve as access points to the intangible using several layers of oil paint in traditional methods of glazing to create flat graphic shapes as well as deep realistic passages.
Bly teaches painting and drawing courses and is a board member for the Texas Association of Schools of Art. His paintings have been shown in solo, invitational, and juried shows.
A reception will be held from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9. The exhibition will be on display through Friday, Sept. 23. Hours for the Juanita Harvey Art Gallery are 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. Admission is free. Call 940-397-4264 for more information.