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Gore Galleries Features Costa Rican Art


Mississippi College faculty, staff and alumni traveling to Costa Rica on a painting excursion are seeing their art works showcased at the Gore Galleries.

The new exhibit at the MC Department of Art's gallery opened in late August and continues through Oct. 2.

The MC delegation didn't make the journey to Costa Rica to snorkel, go scuba diving or spend days observing the mighty Poas Volcano. They visited Costa Rica on a two-week mission in May 2008 to work on their craft in a Spanish-speaking country where monkeys climb trees.

The new MC exhibit features the work of internationally celebrated artist Sam Gore, art professor Albert Smathers, international programs officer staffer Carrie Lassetter of Clinton and other artists. Their trip received the full support of architect and businessman Pat Pattillo, who's with a large architectural firm in Georgia. Pattillo also owns a 4,500 acre resort in Costa Rica.

Carrie Lassetter, who holds three art degrees from Mississippi College, is a talented artist and programs coordinator at MC's international center. Carrie speaks fluent Spanish and those language skills came in handy during their journey. Her degrees include a master's in fine arts from the Baptist-affiliated university.

At the Gore Galleries exhibit, Lassetter contributed several paintings, including one of a Costa Rican landscape, a scene of a fisherman in the waves, and a Costan Rican cowboy leaning against a palm tree. Included in the show are five two dimensional pieces, two pastel paintings and three water colors. Lassetter is also an adjunct art professor at her alma mater.

The trip, Lassetter said, "was an unbelievable opportunity for an artist. We had two weeks to be inspired by the beauty of Costa Rica. It was an artist's dream."

At the Samuel Marshall Gore Art Galleries named in his honor, Sam Gore provided a sculpture and portrait of Pat Pattillo plus a watercolor of a coconut grove. Smathers contributed a handful of paintings to the exhibit.

Sixty years ago, Gore and Pattillo were classmates at Georgia Tech. They first became friends at a Baptist Student Union event on the Atlanta campus and stayed in touch ever since their days as undergraduates.

Pattillo invited the MC art group to go down to Costa Rica and work on their craft. The Georgia architect picked up the tab for their airfare, ground transportation, food and lodging, Gore said. In return, the MC group left him with half of their paintings for use at his resort and other businesses.

"We had a cottage right on the beach," Gore said. "Costa Rica is absolutely beautiful. There is fruit, fish and incredibly friendly people. They are poor by our standards."

As for the many wild monkeys that they spotted on the trip, Gore said "they try to frighten you off. They sound bigger than a gorilla, but they are not bigger than a good-sized dog," added the retired MC art department chairman from Clinton.

A 1951 MC graduate whose career spans more than five decades, Gore is thrilled about the exhibit, and the chance to welcome Pattillo at a Sept. 17 reception at the Gore galleries. It will be his first visit to MC. Pattillo was an architecture student at Georgia Tech, while Gore attended the school for three semesters after his stint in the Navy. "He's a great friend," Gore said.

Free and open to the public, the new exhibit contains nearly 50 art pieces.

Smathers contributed five pieces, including a painting that depicts a Costa Rican man with a large knife and sack of fruit.

For Smathers, the ocean waves and howling moneys added quite a bit to the atmosphere in Costa Rica. "It was wild and romantic at the same time," said the Raymond resident. "It is a place I would love to go again."

Besides the art from Costa Rica, there are a number of other interesting events planned for the Gore Galleries this fall.

Professors Gore, Smathers, Michael Hataway, art chairman Randy Miley, Steve Cook and other MC art instructors will combine their talents for an MC faculty show. The exhibit at the Gore Galleries runs from Oct. 9 until Dec. 18. It is free and open to the public.

For more details, contact Gore Galleries Director Randy Jolly at 601.925.7770 or rjolly@mc.edu.