Emporia State Art Faculty Showing Works At Mercer Gallery
Exhibition opening with public reception at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 26 and running through Dec. 1
Mercer Gallery will host the Emporia State University Art Faculty Exhibition Oct. 26 through Dec. 1, beginning with a public reception from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Oct. 26.
Admission is free and the gallery is located in the west wing of the Pauline Joyce Fine Arts Building at Garden City Community College. After the reception, viewing hours will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
The exhibition will feature a wide range two- and three-dimensional shapes and images by various artists who teach at ESU, including faculty members who work in glass, painting, sculpture, engraving, printmaking, photography, drawing and mixed media.
Among the participating artists are:
- Eric Conrad, assistant professor of art and foundation studies coordinator
- James Ehlers, assistant professor of engraving
- Roberta Eichenberg, assistant professor of sculpture
- Dr. Patricia Kahn, professor of art education
- Dan Kirchhefer, professor of art
- Stephanie Lanter, assistant professor of art
- Patrick Martin, associate professor of glass and interim art department chairman
- Larry Schwarm, professor of art and photography
- Derek Wilkinson, assistant professor of art.
Conrad earned a master of fine arts at the Rhode Island School of Design in painting and printmaking, a postgraduate certificate in painting at the Art Institute of Chicago and a bachelor of arts in studio art, as well as in mathematics, at Kalamazoo College in Michigan. He also completed prior study in mathematics at Eotvos University, Budapest, Hungary.
Ehlers earned a master of fine arts at the University of Florida and a master of arts at Bradley University, Peoria, Ill. In addition to showing his work, he is planning to conduct a hands-on demonstration in engraving during the opening day, commencing at 9 a.m. in the art studio area in the Joyce Building. Ehlers operates the only bachelor of fine arts program in engraving arts in the nation.
Eichenberg attained a master of fine arts at Ohio State University, Columbus, and a master of art at California State University, Chico.
Kahn completed a doctorate in art education at Ohio State University, a master of education in art education at the University of Central Florida, a bachelor of art at the University of Central Florida and an associate degree in interior design at Florida’s Seminole Community College.
Kirchhefer is a master of fine arts graduate of the University of Kansas.
Lanter earned a master of fine arts at Ohio University, Athens, and a bachelor of arts at Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Martin attained a master of fine arts in glass at Tulane University and a bachelor of arts at Centre College, Danville, Ky., as well as completing an apprenticeship at the Appalachian Center for Crafts at Tennessee Technological University, Smithville, Tenn.
Schwarm completed a master of fine arts in design and photography and a bachelor of fine arts in design and sculpture, both at the University of Kansas.
Wilkinson earned a master of fine arts in painting and drawing at Arizona State University, Tempe, and a bachelor of fine arts in painting at Washington State University, Pullman.
As individuals, the ESU art faculty members have earned numerous awards and displayed their creations in hundreds of group, one-person, invitational and juried exhibitions in Arizona, Arkansas, Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan and Minnesota, as well as Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and other states. All have exhibited in Kansas.
Most have had their works purchased for galleries, public and private collections.
Some of the artists have conducted residencies at U.S. colleges and universities and all have provided lectures and presentations in addition to their art instruction duties.
The ESU Department of Art is one of approximately 250 art departments nationally accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. It is made up of 11 full-time and five part-time faculty personnel, and serves approximately 160 art majors each semester, in addition to non-majors studying art.
The faculty personnel sharing their work at GCCC help provide courses and programs leading to the bachelor of fine arts degree in art; bachelor of arts in art; bachelor of science in art, with psychology or other emphasis; and bachelor of science in education, with art emphasis.
Studio concentrations are offered in ceramics, engraving arts, glass, graphic design, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture.
The ESU show follows the 2012 Sandhills Art Association Juried Exhibition and it is one of nine collections booked for the 2012-2013 season by Gallery Director Brian McCallum.
Displays still ahead include the GCCC Art Faculty Exhibition, planned for December and January; the Kansas State University Ceramics Exhibition in February; a display of wearable art in March; and a collection of pieces for April, gathered in a project by Southwest Kansan Valarie Smith, called “Art of the Orphan Children of Honduras.” The season is scheduled to conclude next May with the 2013 GCCC Student Art Exhibition.
