School of Performing and Visual Arts
2024 Faculty Show
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Biennial Art and Design Faculty Show Highlights Southern Miss Artistic Talent
By Caroline Abney
Gallery-goers were invited to connect with the emotions, narratives, and perspectives that shape the many forms of art at the biennial Faculty Show held by distinguished studio art faculty at Southern Miss in the Gallery of Art and Design on the Hattiesburg campus.
This year’s artists featured in the exhibit included: Allen Chen, Jacob Cotton, Janet Gorzegno, John Mark Lawler, James Meade, Marcus Michels, Nathan Mullins, Linh Nguyen, Michael Richardson, Mark Rigsby, Nicole Scannell, Jennifer Torres and David Wilkinson.
Mark Rigsby, museum director and professor of Art and Design said:
This exhibition offers faculty the opportunity to share their creative research in the visual arts with students and the community. This year’s show offers a wide variety of works including paintings, drawings, intaglio prints, digital collage, sculpture, pottery, and graphic design.
Marcus Michels, associate professor of Foundations, said his creative approach is often inspired by the forms and elements found in nature, particularly how light, temperature, and atmosphere influence visual perception.
Through my works, I aim to distill the many rich observable conditions of nature into singular two-dimensional form, conveying the subtleties of light, temperature and atmosphere. This allows for a moment of reflection on the ephemeral beauty of these natural elements, with painting serving as a medium that communicates in an instant what words cannot fully express.
Janet Gorzegno, professor of Drawing and Painting, reflected on the timeless nature of form in her artwork. Her creative approach blends ancient and contemporary influences, with a recurring focus on the human head in profile. Gorzegno described her work as a process of soul-searching, where she seeks to capture the essence of presence through her compositions.
As an artist, I am drawn to the essential qualities of form, invoking a sense of presence both ancient and contemporary. The inspiration for my work is soul-searching, with the human head in profile as a recurring motif.
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