Mercer Gallery to Host Drawing and Painting Exhibition from FHSU Faculty & Students
[Garden City, KS] October 26, 2023 -- The Mercer Gallery is pleased to host an exhibition by Fort Hays State University (FHSU) painting and drawing professors Jee Hawang and Amy Schmierbach, along with student artwork by Charlie Schmanke, Kiernan McCarty, Jennifer Cox, Lexis Beesley, Darrel Manis, PJ Stauffer, Isabel Dixon, and Mantra Cora. The group has various mediums and approaches to their drawings and paintings that explore the self, the concept of space, and visual culture in current society.
The exhibition runs from Friday, October 27th – to Friday, November 10th, with an informal opening reception at 2 pm in the gallery on October 27th. There will be an artist's workshop where Jee Hwang and Darrel Manis will demonstrate miniature lovers' eyes paintings to Garden City Community College students in the Joyce Fine Arts building, room 1413, on Friday, October 27th, at 9:30 am.
Jee Hwang and Amy Schmierbach work together to coordinate the Drawing and Painting program at FHSU, where students can receive multiple bachelor's and master's degrees in studio art. Their program is well-suited for students mainly interested in pursuing a career in visual arts. Students will receive a well-rounded fine art education through studying painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, drawing, photography, graphic design, and interior design. Students will also gain a solid foundation in art history and knowledge of art theories, contexts, and art/design works. Collaboration is integral to this degree, as students learn to collaborate with peers and faculty to improve their ideas, concepts, and projects.
See this inspiring exhibition by the renowned FHSU Visual Arts Faculty and students. The Mercer Gallery is open Monday through Wednesday, from 9 am to 4 pm, Thursdays from 9 am to 10 pm, and Fridays from 9 am until 4 pm. For more information, please contact Gallery Director Michael Knutson at michael.knutson@gcccks.edu.
ABOUT ARTISTS
Jee Hwang's works explore images of figures and objects from everyday life in painting. Observing individuals and people's desires and relationships, Hwang produces realistic depictions of metaphorical scenes in her paintings, which reflect her inner self and identity as an immigrant. Hwang received her MFA in painting from Pratt Institute and her BFA from Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland. Hwang has actively participated in solo and group exhibitions at various venues in New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Seoul, Korea; more of her work can be found at www.jeehwangstudio.com.
Amy Schmierbach is an artist, instructor, and activist. Her primary goal in art and teaching is to empower others through art making and help foster individuals to visually communicate their ideas in the studio, classroom, and community. Amy received a BFA from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, and a MFA from Illinois State University in Printmaking. In 2011, Amy received the prestigious President's Distinguished Scholar Award for her dedication to research at FHSU. In 2019, Amy received a Master Educator Award for Foundations in Art Theory and Education FATE for her dedication to innovative teaching in the art studio classroom. Community outreach and service learning are both highly personal objectives for Amy.
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