Mississippi College’s fall art exhibitions showcase artistic talent, communal spirit
The universal language of art has the power to bring people together by inspiring creativity and fostering unity.
This fall, the Department of Art at Mississippi College is hosting several public art exhibits that emphasize the shared experiences of artistic creators.
Randy Jolly, MC instructor in art and director of the Gore Galleries, said the showcases provide an opportunity for art students and community members to engage with professional artists and their work.
“Our students get to hear working artists and learn from them, see new ideas, and realize that they, too, can have a career in art,” Jolly said. “Art is one of the most exciting careers that you can have. You must be strong, resilient, able to adapt, and you have to understand the culture that you live in, what your audience is looking for in a work of art.”
On MC’s East Campus, the Gore Arts Complex Gallery will host “My Life Revisited,” a one-artist show featuring the work of Vicksburg gallery owner Lesley Silver. The founder of the Attic Gallery will discuss her work during an “Artist Talk” at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16, in the GAC lobby. A reception will follow the talk.
Jolly said Silver, who has more than 20 pieces in the “My Life Revisited” show, is one of the most creative mixed-media artists active today.
“She finds things lying on the street that other people wouldn’t notice, from driftwood to rusted nails, anything that interests her, and puts them together in unique ways,” Jolly said. “She’s also a creative photographer who loves to mentor young artists.”
The Samuel Marshall Gore Art Galleries at MC are currently hosting three exhibits featuring the work of local artists, MC students and a wide array of well-known artisans.
* The Gore Galleries’ Spaugh Gallery is hosting “Artists Across Borders,” an exhibit of four Hattiesburg-area artists from a variety of backgrounds, through Tuesday, Sept. 30. The event features work by Hector Boldo, Allen Chen, Andrea Kostyal and Betty Press.
* “Paper and Prints,” an exhibit of work by MC students, will be displayed in the Gore Galleries’ Dunaway Gallery through Tuesday, Oct. 28.
* The main Gore Gallery is hosting a collection of works curated from MC’s permanent collection of art. On display this fall is art fashioned by well-known creators Salvador Dali, Peter Max and John S. Dewar, and Mississippi artists such as Wyatt Waters and Keith M. Francis, among others.
Jolly said the “Paper and Prints” exhibit allows burgeoning MC student artists to discover how to properly showcase themselves and their work.
“Our faculty encourage students to learn how to present their art in a way that indicates its value,” Jolly said of the exhibit, which features monotypes, etchings and block prints MC students produced last spring.
“It’s exciting to see what the students can do with cotton pulp and making their own paper.”
The Gore Galleries are open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and the GAC Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. All exhibits are free of charge.
Art enthusiasts can keep up with the exhibits on display at MC by visiting the Department of Art’s Facebook page and Instagram @mcdeptart.
Sign-up For Our Newsletter
Get the latest news about Mississippi College delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the Along College Street e-newsletter.
