Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art at Georgia Southern University

Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art Title

Ribbon Cutting for the new Center for Art & Theatre
Friday, February 29, 7pm
Presentation by Dr. Bruce Grube

Center for Art & Theatre

Public Event, Open to All!

Center for the Art & Theatre Open House
Sunday, March 2, 2008, 12-2pm
Featuring work by Betty Foy Sanders & Betty Foy Botts and
presenting the Betty Foy Sanders Georgia Artists Collection

Betty Foy Sanders & Betty Foy Botts

GAC

Oral Defense
April 9, 5pm

Reception
April 11, 6pm

ArtsFest, now in its 26th year, is an annual festival celebrating the arts and arts education through performances, exhibiting and demonstrating artists, and hands-on activities and games. ArtsFest ‘08 features Harry O’Donoghue, the First Annual Battle of the Bands, the Curious Moon Puppets, and the Artists’ Market. The festival brings hundreds of artists and over 6,000 visitors to Georgia Southern University’s campus each year. ArtsFest is free to the public and a service of GSU to Statesboro and the surrounding communities.

Be a part of the First Annual Battle of the Bands at ARTsFEST '08!
For more information, visit http://class.georgiasouthern.edu/art/arts_fest.html

Reveal
May 2, 5pm

Hours
May 1-2, 10am - 9pm
May 3, 10am - 6pm

The Ceramic & Sculpture Studio is located off of Forest Drive
on the Georgia Southern University Campus.

Artists include
Samantha Bonnell, Lindsey Jenkins, Jordan Banks, Carla Ballard, K. Alison Burroughs, & Victoria Breeden.

Reception
Center for Art & Theatre
Friday, August 22, 2008
7 - 9 PM

The Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art cordially invites you to the 2008 Faculty Exhibition, in celebration of exceptional faculty and faculty emeriti who combine a dedication to teaching with an active life in the making of art.

The highly anticipated 2008 Faculty Exhibition will be on display at the Center for Art & Theatre Galleries and Sculpture Garden from August 18 – September 18, 2008. Please join us for a reception in honor of the artists on Friday, August 22, 7pm – 9pm at the Center for Art & Theatre, 233 Pittman Drive, Statesboro, GA 30460.

This exhibition provides the Faculty and Faculty Emeriti of the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art, who are nationally and internationally recognized artists, the opportunity to share their talent and creativity with the Georgia Southern population, the Statesboro community and the surrounding areas.

Join Us for Wednesday Faculty Artist Talks (5-7pm)

August 27: Ed Rushton & Jeff Beekman

September 3: Melissa Lovingood & Kathy Hubbard

September 10: Pat Walker & Jane Pleak

September 17: Marc Moulton & Jessica Marshall

Reception
Center for Art & Theatre
Friday, August 22, 2008
7 - 9 PM

Danielle Johnson, Jessica Coper, Marenn Mosley, Danielle Maskery,

STATESBORO, GA, August 13 – Through Our Eyes, an exhibition of photographs on view at the Center for Art & Theatre, August 21 – September 11 illustrates the recent journey made to China and Vietnam by members of the student photography group, Photo-Synthesis, at Georgia Southern.

The Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art’s mission to support transcultural opportunities for students and faculty through cultural exchanges made this summer study abroad program possible, during which two faculty and nine students completed creative research while exploring China and Vietnam. Through Our Eyes depicts the culmination of varying experiences, with imagery ranging in topic and purpose, depending upon each individual student’s perception of the exotic and unfamiliar world they observed over their 3 week trip.

The exhibition of photographs serve as a reminder to the artists of where they have been, what they experienced, and lessons they learned while worlds away from Georgia Southern. This exhibition is an offering of private insight to its public viewers. “We placed ourselves into a foreign culture and used the new world around us to look deep within ourselves to create art about the life-changing experience. New worlds and ways of thinking were discovered during our adventure,” said Jessica Loper, photography minor and member of Photo-Synthesis. Describing the exhibition, Loper said, “We all came from different backgrounds with different purposes, but we took this journey together, as one. This exhibit is the conclusion of one adventure, yet the experience has opened doors to countless others.”

The exhibit will opens on Monday, August 18 and will run through September 11 the Center for Art & Theatre.

Photo-Synthesis is a student organization that offers fellowship for students through the celebration of photography and artistic expression. “Our organization is a place where students can learn, explore the world of art, and meet others with the same interest in photography,” said Loper.

opening Reception
legends gallery
f1rst Friday, September, 5 2008
5 - 7 PM

[ exhibition: Foundations: Form & Content ]
October 20 - October 30

Reception
Center for Art & Theatre
Friday, October 24, 2008
7 - 9 PM

Artworks created by students enrolled in the fine arts bachelor degrees offered by the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art will be featured in a juried exhibition, Foundations: Form and Content from October 20-30, 2008 in the Center for Art & Theatre galleries on the Georgia Southern University campus. A reception for the artists and awards presentation will take place on October 24th, from 7-9 pm.

Foundations courses are required of all students who pursue a major in art and include courses in drawing, two-dimensional design and three-dimensional design, as well as art history. Foundations coursework is rigorous and demonstrates why the pedagogical research by Georgia Southern foundation art faculty in this field is highly regarded in the profession.

“Students wanting careers in art and design are challenged technically and conceptually in our six foundation courses, which consist of observation based drawing, concept based drawing, two and three dimensional design and two art history survey courses,” said Foundations Director, Professor Bruce Little, “These courses provide students with the underpinnings needed to be maximally successful as they move forward through the various concentrated areas of study. This pedagogically based exhibit is intended to honor their efforts in rigorous training, demonstrate to other foundation students what exemplary performance looks like and to provide the public with insights into how artists acquire both knowledge and skill. Art foundation faculty members will also provide descriptions of the learning activities demonstrated in the students works judged to be of sufficiently high quality to be exhibited.”

The mission of the exhibition is to showcase and honor the efforts of beginning art students; to provide an avenue through which high achieving art students can earn recognition and awards; and to demonstrate to future students the expectations placed on students who take foundations courses. A panel of Georgia Southern art professors who teach major courses in various artistic areas juried the exhibition. Faculty jurors include Patricia Walker, Professor of Drawing and Painting, Leigh Thomson, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, and Christina Lemon, Associate Professor of Jewelry/Small Metals.

[ exhibition: Vote. ]
October 20 - October 30

Reception
Center for Art & Theatre
Friday, October 24, 2008
7 - 9 PM

Graphic design students in the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art, Georgia Southern University, will exhibit nonpartisan election posters created to promote Georgia Southern student participation in the 2008 electoral process at the Center for Art & Theatre, October 20-30, 2008. A reception celebrating the designers’ success in prompting the polls will be held October 24, 2008, 7:00 – 9:00pm at the Center for Art & Theatre; all are invited to attend.

Prior to the exhibition, election posters will be “plastered” all over the Georgia Southern campus, imploring students to pay attention to the value of their American right to vote. Adopting a journalist’s perspective, the Bachelor of Fine Arts designers will be documenting their peers’ response by photographing the public debut of their public service announcements as they interface with an target audience who are directly impacted by their posters. “One of the many goals of our graphic design program is to empower students to use their visual voice to better the world around them—to develop their sense of civic responsibility,” said Leigh Thomson, Professor of Graphic Design, Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art. “This course assignment will be disseminated into the University community to fully reach Georgia Southern students. So often, designers never get to see the reaction of their consumer, however in this assignment, students will observe, first-hand, how their work can make impressions on multitudes of people. Honoring the power of the visual image to communicate is the responsibility of the designer— as well as the challenge—and ultimately the reward of our creative work,” said Thomson, a multi-award-winning designer.

Explaining the parameters of the project, Thomson said, “This is design in its truest form—assessing a problem, executing a solution and disseminating content. The lack of participation from the youth of America in the 2004 election, posed a formidable question to our students… How do we communicate to the Georgia Southern University campus to encourage students to get out and vote? The Professional Practices in Graphic Design students were challenged to design copy and content that would strike a chord with Georgia Southern students. Over the course of three weeks, students conducted research on various voting campaigns, illustrated the progression of their work in class critiques, and in a final assessment, will exhibit their design work coincidentally in both a fine art gallery and public rally venues.”

Inspired by current issues, from healthcare, gas prices to animal rights, the VOTE. poster design campaign demonstrates the value of the visual language of design in articulating current issues. Various demographic viewpoints of each design appeal to both young adults and fellow Americans of all ages, fostering valuable insight through visual appeal and conceptual impact. The design posters present a juxtaposition of modernity with traditional imagery, while promoting democratic practices over 200 years old.

opening Reception
legends gallery
f1rst Friday, October 3, 2008
5 - 7 PM

Migration, a ceramics sculpture exhibition by Georgia Southern University Professor of Ceramics, Jane Pleak, will be on display in the Legends Gallery at Averitt Center for the Arts. The exhibition opening is part of downtown Statesboro’s First Friday celebration from 5 – 7 on October 3, 2008, will remain on display until November 2, 2008.

Pleak is inspired by the migration and transition of nature. In her ceramic sculptures, she transforms these transitory moments into frozen moments… capturing time. The exploration of this stopping point where bird figures stop and converse takes place on the top of ceramic bowls. ‘What do they talk about, Where are the headed,’ questions Pleak. Each form offers Pleak’s view on this migration as birds fly through her creative life and stop for a moment to do all the things we do – discuss the life in all of its absurd wonder.

The Averitt Center for the Arts is located at 33 East Main Street, Statesboro, GA 30458. Hours are Monday – Friday from 10am – 7pm and Saturday from 10am – 4pm. For more information on Averitt Center for the Arts, please visit http://www.averittcenterforthearts.org.

[ exhibition: The lightness of being & The burden of Gravity ]
november 3 - december 4

Center for Art & Theatre
Contemporary Gallery
(directions)

Reception
Center for Art & Theatre
Friday, November 14, 2008
7 - 9 PM

The Lightness of Being and the Burden of Gravity, a video installation exhibition by Master of Fine Art Candidate, Emy Mixon, will be featured in the Contemporary Gallery at Georgia Southern’s Center for Art & Theatre from November 3 – December 4, 2008. The public is invited to attend the exhibition’s opening reception on Friday, November 14, 2008 from 7 – 9 pm.

The installation of video by Mixon is provoked from a quote by Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being:

“History is as light as individual human life, unbearably light, light as a feather, as dust swirling into the air, as whatever will no longer exist tomorrow.”

“The challenge of the human condition is to bear the loss that comes with every seconds, moving forward, breathing without thinking;” Mixon states, “ through moments that will pass so uneventfully that we will not recall them, as well as the moments that we experience so profoundly that they will become landmarks in our personal histories.”

Mixon believes there will be pain, there will be pleasure, and regardless of the balance of these things, regardless of our decisions, no matter what we remember or what we forget, we must bear the knowledge and the burden of mortality. Her work is an “exploration of the concept of existence, of being, in the past, in the present, and in the future and of how those things so lightly pass, so fleetingly experienced, perpetuated by the burden of gravity.”

Mixon received her BS in Art Marketing from North Georgia College and States University in Dahlonega, GA in 2003 where she worked as an artist-in-residence prior to entering the Master of Fine Art Degree Program in the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art at Georgia Southern University.

[ exhibition: knowyounevermetyou ]
november 3 - december 4

Center for Art & Theatre
University Gallery
(directions)

Reception
Center for Art & Theatre
Friday, November 14, 2008
7 - 9 PM

knowyounevermetyou is a collaborative photography exhibition featuring works by studemnts and faculty of Unitec New Zealand, Auckland, NZ and Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA.

[ legends series exhibition: Cherie Sayer; 'L' is for Life ]
november 7 - November 30

opening Reception
legends gallery
f1rst Friday, november 7, 2008
5:30 - 7:30 pm

“L” is for Life, a painting exhibition by Georgia Southern University Assistant Professor of Art, Cherie Sayer, will be on display in the Legends Gallery at Averitt Center for the Arts, November 7 – 30, 2008. The exhibition opening reception is part of downtown Statesboro’s First Friday celebration from 5:30 – 7:30 on November 7, 2008.

Through her art, Sayer unravels the mysteries of our existence in a body to better understand who we are as humans. She wants to explore the delicate relationship between the way we understand existence and realties we do not immediately see.

“L” is for Life explores the body through Sayer’s personal experiences of pregnancy and producing new life. Unexpected experiences including: the pure joy of feeling life growing inside you, the navigation of a relationship through this time, the public nature of pregnancy, the judgments of others, the fear of becoming a parent, the connection to something bigger than yourself, the beauty of this metamorphosis, the reminder of mortality, and the questioning of life provide inspiration for the content of Sayer’s work.

Ceramics & Sculpture Buiding
236 Forest Drive, Georgia Southern University

Hours
Thursday, December 4: 10am - 9pm
Friday, December 5: 10am - 9pm
Saturday, December 6: 10am - 6pm

The Club Mud Semi-Annual Exhibition and Sale provides an opportunity for students to develop as professional artists. Proceeds not only support the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art students, but as well as student travel, visiting artist and local causes, Food Bank, Human Society and the American Red Cross.

This year, Georgia Southern University’s Club Mud Fall Exhibition and Sale will celebrate its 25th year December 4 – 6, 2008.

More than 40 undergraduate and graduate art students will exhibit and sell their work in ceramics, porcelain and stoneware, jewelry, small metals, prints and handmade books.

“Over the years Club Mud has evolved into a three day Gallery opportunity for the students,” says Jane Pleak, professor of ceramics. “We have such a diverse group of students the work always varies expanding creative offerings.”

Consistent from year to year is the opportunity for student artists to exhibit, network with the public and understand the business of art. “Club Mud,” says Pleak, “gives art students the opportunity to see what it’s like to become a professional artist.” Students exhibit and sell artwork they have created over the semester in a variety of courses, from Ceramics, Sculpture and Jewelry Making and printmaking and book arts. “The university and local community have been our biggest support encouraging our students as they develop their creative talents,” continues Pleak, “They support and encourage young artists and, over the years, see the student work evolve and grow.”

This year, Club Mud takes place from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, December 4th and 5th, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, December 6. Located in and around the Ceramics and Sculpture Studio on 236 Forest Drive, admission is free of charge. The prices of student work will vary.

[ exhibition: EXIT 2008 ]
december 8 - December 12

Center for Art & Theatre
Contemporary & University Galleries
(directions)

Reception
Center for Art & Theatre
Friday, December 12, 2008
7 - 9 PM

Art created by Georgia Southern University Bachelor of Fine Art candidates will be on display in an inaugural group BFA Senior Exhibition, titled Exit 2008 at the Center for Art and Theatre from Monday, December 8 to Friday, December 12. All are invited to attend a closing reception for the exhibition on Friday, December 12, 2008 from 7pm - 9pm.

Artwork will vary in scope and media from prints to sculptures, installation, ceramic pieces, jewelry, figurative paintings and photography. The BFA group exhibition will feature the work of: Tracy Adams, Zachary Butterfield, Laura Gordon, Jennifer Hager, Kelly Hill, Lisa Hughes, Michael Owens, Jordan Phelps, Ruben Renteria, Christine Smeaton, and Melinda Swift.

[ legends series exhibition: Travis Linville; The Deck ]
Decemeber 5 - January 4

opening Reception
legends gallery
f1rst Friday, December 5, 2008
5:30 - 7:30 pm

The Deck, a drawing exhibition by Travis Linville. Assistant Professor of Art, Travis Linville, will be on display in the Legends Gallery at Averitt Center for the Arts, December 5, 2008 – January 4, 2009. The exhibition opening reception is part of downtown Statesboro’s First Friday celebration from 5:30 – 7:30 on December 5, 2008.

The cards on exhibition are a selection from a complete set of 52 which portray figures of varying degrees of power/influence: world leaders, celebrities, blue-collar anonymous workers, religious leaders, refugees, etc. As with standard card games the values of these can change and the ability of certain cards to trump others may fluctuate though it is generally understood that particular suits and/or distinctions hold more sway than others in most games. With this deck, it is the viewer’s responsibility to assign value and dominance to individual cards. By examining the role of influential people in our own decision making, we can better ascertain the risk we invite and understand the chance collective of our individual belief systems.

Recent studies have found that checkers, like tic tac toe, is destined to be an infinite draw, a stalemate, and indicates that strategy is a concept that is designed to expect and anticipate human error. It also suggests the infinite possibility of one power’s susceptibility to eventual displacement. Through the integration of these portraits onto playing cards Linville is suggesting the same dynamic exists in our daily lives. Though most card games incorporate greater degrees of chance, the game presents similar opportunities while offering the same possible futility. On a personal level this project was a way for Linville to refine his drawing skills, as later portraits in the series exhibit greater technical facility, while at the same time making himself more aware of the major figures influencing public perception and world events.

Travis Linville, an artist and educator, currently resides in southeast Georgia. The former executive assistant of the Society for Photographic Education has serves as assistant professor of photography, drawing, and computer graphics at the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art, Georgia Southern Univeristy. Showing nationally and internationally, Linville continues to exhibit and play an active role in his field.

[ legends series exhibition: Colossal Head; Jessica Marshall ]
January 9 - February 1, 2009

Closing Reception
legends gallery
Janurary 23, 2009
5:30 - 7:30 pm

Colossal Head, an exhibition of paintings and collages by assistant professor of art, Jessica Marshall, will be on display in the Legends Gallery at the Averitt Center for the Arts, January 9, 2009 - February 1, 2009. A closing reception will be held from 5:30-7:30 pm January 23, 2008.

The title of the exhibition, Colossal Head, plays on the notion of the human head as an archaeological discovery, as well as an example of the vast and transformative nature of subjectivity. The imagery in this body of work is derived from vintage documentary, and medical photography, as well as current digital imaging technology.

The famed media theorist, Marshall McLuhan asserted that media are extensions of the human body. The physical senses play an immense role in the formation of individual and collective perception. McLuhan cited the invention of the alphabet as an historical event that privileged the visual sense over hearing in the communication process, thereby transforming literate society’s self-conception. Each media creates a different physical and mental response, which he often referred to as the “massage”.

Considering the significance of visual media in sensory and psychological response, I compare high and low technology, using artifacts of photographic history, to create a “portrait” of perception. In this series, I begin by drawing the heads or physical characteristics of different personalities. From a historical perspective these figures vary from the archaic and universal, to the small and insignificant. I then begin to build their likenesses out of fragments of visual media. Radiographic images, lens flare, and pixels come together to map the mental spaces of a diverse array of figures, including ancient Olmec heads, supermodels, random Internet personages, and personal acquaintances. These visual fragments simultaneously obscure and reveal the shapes of figures through photographic observation, collage, and automatic, free form painting.

Jessica Marshall, an artist and educator, has been featured in over 30 national and international exhibitions since 2003. She currently resides in southeast Georgia where she serves as Assistant Professor of drawing and two-dimensional design at the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art, Georgia Southern University.

[ exhibition: Latin American Posters: Public Aesthetics & Mass Politics ]
Janurary 12 - March 12, 2009

Center for Art & Theatre
contemporary Gallery
(directions)

Reception
Center for Art & Theatre
Friday, January 30, 2009
5 - 7 PM

Latin American Posters: Public Aesthetics and Mass Politics, an exhibition of over one hundred graphics illuminating the history and culture of thirteen Latin American countries will be on exhibit at Georgia Southern University January 12-March 12 at the Center for Art & Theatre. A public reception takes place on Friday, January 30th from 5-7 pm. Curator Teresa Eckmann will speak on Wednesday, February 25th from 5-7 pm in the Visual Arts Building Auditorium about the travelling exhibition and the selections she chose from the 10,000 strong Sam L. Slick Collection of Latin American and Iberian Posters, housed in the University of New Mexico Libraries. The public is invited to attend all exhibition and gallery events presented by the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art.

Dating from the late 1950s to 2005, the posters in the exhibition explore five broad-ranging themes: (1) Imperialism, Solidarity, and Self Determination; (2) Icons, Martyrs, and Charismatic Leaders; (3) Human Rights, Feminism, and Indigenism; (4) Revolution and Popular Movements; and (5) Culture, Society, and Film.

These powerful images were selected to represent some of the most dynamic graphic designs from the second half of the 20th century. Many of the works are not attributed, as is typical of the poster medium, yet the exhibition includes works by such well-known artists as Raúl Martínez, René Mederos Pazos, and Eduardo Muñoz Bachs of Cuba, Jesús Ruiz Durand of Peru, Antonio Martorell, Lorenzo Homar, and Rafael Tufiño of Puerto Rico, and Claes Oldenburg, Rupert García and Ester Hernández of the United States.

Dr. Teresa Eckmann, co-curator of the exhibition and Assistant Professor of Contemporary Latin American History at the University of Texas, San Antonio states, “Latin American Posters is an exhibit that will intrigue and appeal to a diverse audience, from those well-versed in graphic design and the political history of Latin America, to those unfamiliar with printing techniques or the issues at hand. They speak boldly about universal concerns such as human rights, sovereignty, and equal opportunity.”

Patricia Carter, Chair of the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art echoes Eckmann’s praise of the exhibition’s appeal adding, “the democratic gestures of both printmaking and graphic design media are immensely powerful in their ability to evoke dialog around the world with ease through mass production of visual imagery, and in their ability to bring visual images to the public in ways that break away from sterile white walls of a gallery –such as installations in public spaces like community centers, park kiosks, libraries, or as graffiti prints and paste-ups on city streets— and in doing so they strengthen communities and promote change through a messaging system that remains as powerful today as it was when the first letterpress political poster was pulled centuries ago. Although these posters are framed and presented in a formal gallery space as historical examples, one cannot help but feel the past actions of each image as you envision their public presence and imagine the conversations they prompted.”

Story, Connect Statesboro

[ exhibition: Soldier Portraits by Ellen Susan]
Janurary 30 - March 12, 2009

Center for Art & Theatre
University Gallery
(directions)

Reception
Center for Art & Theatre
Friday, January 30, 2009
5 - 7 PM

Soldier Portraits, an exhibition of photographs by Savannah artist Ellen Susan, will be on view at Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, January 30 - March 12. An opening reception will take place on Friday, January 30th from 5-7 pm at the Center for Art & Theatre. Ellen Susan will speak about the exhibition and her creative process on Wednesday, February 18th from 5-7 pm in the Visual Arts Building Auditorium. The public is invited to attend all exhibition and gallery events presented by the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art.

Susan uses the wet collodion process—a photographic technique used in the 19th Century during the American Civil War—to make portraits of contemporary American soldiers, many of whom have deployed to Iraq and/or Afghanistan for multiple tours of duty. The artist describes how she, “wanted to produce physically enduring, visually arresting images of people sent repeatedly into war zones.” Many of the soldiers depicted are based in southeast Georgia.

One of her aims in photographing contemporary soldiers this way is to provide a counterpoint to anonymous media representations. The wet collodion process is slow and deliberate, requiring a large view camera and a darkroom onsite. The combination of the long exposures and the peculiarities of its appearance often elicit comments like "you can see into the subject's soul.”

In contrast, much contemporary portrait work made with view cameras exhibits a neutral, deadpan appearance. While the slowness and formality of large-format photography can lend itself to emotional distance, the specific properties of the wet plate process eliminate even the potential for that kind of image. Susan explains, “Personally, I think what the images reveal are simply lusciously rendered and highly detailed physical attributes of the individuals. I don’t think you can see anybody’s soul in any photograph, but if the appearance is compelling enough, it lets you imagine that you can—and then consider the face and the person it belongs to, and what they might be all about.”

More information about the Soldier Portraits project can be found at www.soldierportraits.com.

Ellen Susan's Resume
Ellen Susan's Artist Statement
Press Release, Center for Art & Theatre
Story, Photopop.com
Story, State of the Art
Story, Connect Statesboro
Story, George-Anne

[ legends series exhibition: The Frog Story; julie mcguire ]
February 6 - March 1, 2009

Opening Reception
legends gallery
February 6, 2009
5:30 - 7:30 pm

The Frog Story, an exhibition by Georgia Southern University Professor of Art History, Julie McGuire, will be on display in the Legends Gallery at Averitt Center for the Arts, February 6 – March 1, 2009. The exhibition opening reception is part of downtown Statesboro’s First Friday celebration from 5:30 – 8:00 on February 6, 2009.

Through her Art, McGuire addresses the issues she faces as a human being. By paying attention to life’s peculiarities and the nuances of human nature, she has found that there are many truths. For McGuire, art is not only a source of self-knowledge but also a vehicle for revealing these truths as they are filtered through her own experience.

The Frog Story represents McGuire’s feeble attempt to pay homage to some of the poor toads and frogs that have suffered a watery and chlorinate, miserable, bloated death in her swimming pool over the past several summers. She has created contemporary coffins, tiki temples, and retro reliquaries for the dead complete with all the royal regalia found in tombs of ancient pharaohs. After the individual pieces have been commemorated through exhibition, McGuire completes the funerary process by burying works in location s she believes amenable to a frogs’ afterlife – swamps, ponds, and other watery and chemically free environments.

With a B.A from Illinois College, an M.A. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and a PhD from Indiana University, McGuire is active in all realms of her discipline—teacher, scholar, and artist. As a professor of art history at Georgia Southern University, she has taught a variety of courses on modern and contemporary art such as 20th Century Art, Dada and Surrealism, and Contemporary Theory and Criticism in Art. As a scholar, she has published numerous articles and reviews on a wide range of topics that include performance art, art and technology, and art and popular culture. As a practicing artist, her mixed media installations and individual artworks have been exhibited in regional, national, and international venues—from the Woman Made Gallery in Chicago to Sharjah Art Museum in the United Arab Emirates.

[ July 20 - September 4 ]

exhibition: FACES
Center for Art & Theatre
Contemporary Gallery

closing reception
September 4; 5 - 7pm

FACES is an ambitious portraiture project by the advanced photography students from the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art at Georgia Southern University. The portfolio portrays the entire department: students, faculty and staff. FACES will be exhibited in the Contemporary Gallery in the Center for Art & Theatre from July 20 to September 4, 2009 with a closing reception on September 4 from 5 – 7pm.

FACES set two primary objectives for the photographers. The first is to provide the advanced photography students with a set of circumstances and demands that mimic professional practice while pushing their ability to maintain their voice and creativity in a collaborative setting. The second is to foster a greater sense of community among the geographically separate and aesthetically diverse disciplines within the department.

Temporary Professor of Photography, Travis Lineville, spearheaded the project from concept to reality, “This is a wonderful opportunity for students enrolled to develop a set of skills that have both fine art and commercial applications. Ultimately it is a type of collaborative project that demands the students work with their subjects to create unique interpretations of very specific personalities.”

These photography students also were able to partake in an on-site demonstration by Ellen Susan in her Savannah studio. Ellen Susan exhibited her work, Soldier Portraits, in the spring of 2009 at the Center for Art & Theatre; making the entire project very educational by participating in real life, professional experiences.

Photographers include: Amber Bailey, Kristen Camp, Corey Carr, Demario Cullars, Amy Dexter, Megan Donaldson, Jennifer Youmans, Jessica Eanes, Sarah Ewer, Amy Fix, Bailey Garrot, Mackenzie Garrot, Jacqueline Gentry, Brianna Goodwin, Layton Hall, Tami Henry, Dani Maskery, Audrey McDaniel, Lauren McSwain, Jason Newton, Adam Pace, Danielle Scudder, Jared Siri, Kelsey Smith and Kelly Vermeil.

exhibition: ossawbaw
Center for Art & Theatre
university Gallery

closing reception
September 4; 5 - 7pm

SMITH CALLAWAY BANKS SOUTHERN FOLK ART COLLECTION

Smith Callaway Banks Southern Folk Art Collection

The Smith Callaway Banks Southern Folk Art Collection will also be viewable during the
opening events for the Center of Art & Theatre. The collection is located in the Arts Building,
next to the Center for Art & Theatre in room 2012.

For assistance please contact the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art (912) GSU.ARTS

CENTER FOR ART & THEATRE
233 Pittman Drive
Statesboro, GA 30460

ARTS BUILDING
224 Pittman Drive
Statesboro, GA 30460

From Atlanta or Macon, Georgia: Take I-16 South to Exit 116. Exit left onto 301 North towards Statesboro. Continue to follow 301 until it reaches downtown Statesboro. At the red-light intersection of North Main, South Main, East Main and West Main, turn right. The Bulloch County Courthouse will be on the left. The Averitt Center for the Arts is located on the left immediately after the courthouse.

From Savannah, Georgia: Take I-16 North to Exit 127. Exit right onto Hwy 67 North towards Statesboro. Follow Hwy 67 until it merges into Main Street, into downtown Statesboro. At the red-light intersection of North Main, South Main, East Main and West Main turn right. The Bulloch County Courthouse will be on the left. The Averitt Center for the Arts is located on the left immediately after the courthouse.

From Augusta, Georgia: Take Peach Orchard Road/Hwy 25 S/E to Hwy 80 E toward Statesboro. In Statesboro, take a right at the intersection of North Main and Hwy 80. At the red-light intersection of North Main, South Main, East Main and West Main turn left. The Bulloch County Courthouse will be on the left. The Averitt Center for the Arts is located on the left immediately after the courthouse.

For assistance please contact the Averitt Center for the Arts (912) 212-ARTS

Averitt Center for the Arts
33 East Main Street,
Statesboro, Georgia 30458

Travel to Sweetheart Circle then make a right onto Forest Drive.
You may turn into available parking lots before or after you arrive at Hendricks Hall.
You may enter the building from either the East Entrance or West Entrance. Valet is available at the West Entrance. For assistance please contact the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art (912) 871-1712