art

Five graduating seniors from Mississippi University for Women will mark the completion of their undergraduate art programs with their capstone thesis exhibition, which will be on display at the Mississippi University for Women Galleries from Nov. 2 through Dec. 2. A reception will be held Nov.3 from 5:30-7p.m. The artists are Lexie Ava, Justin D. Carson, Myles Moyé, Dominique Wells and Georgia Wood, all of whom will earn a BFA with varying emphases in studio art.

Three of the students are in the painting and drawing emphasis. Originally from Pikesville, Maryland, Ava’s series of drawings and paintings focus on fusions of mythos and pop culture, exploring the process of creating fictional worlds. These works explore character design and worldbuilding through both digital and physical media.

Moyé, from Liberty, Alabama, will feature mixed-media-based paintings and screen prints. Using tennis as a metaphor for life, Moyé explores Black celebrity and class issues. He explores these themes in compositions that blend abstraction with figurative details.

As a lover of cats, Wood of Columbus, will celebrate her feline friends in paintings and prints using found materials. Her work, which is characterized by fantastic and whimsical characters, will be a modern twist on southern folk art.
Carson, a printmaker from Indianola, will explore retro-futuristic and post-apocalyptic themes in a range of printmaking media. His themes blend with pop culture, enhanced by his love of manga, comic books and classical literature.

As the ceramicist of the graduating class, Wells of Columbus, will display a variety of pots and figurative sculptural works. His designs are inspired by his love for pop culture, including anime and wrestling.

The Mississippi University for Women Galleries are open from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, following the academic schedule. The Galleries are located in Summer Hall on The W campus and are free and open to the public. For more information, please call (662) 329-7431 or email bajoyce@muw.edu.

The Mississippi University for Women Galleries will hold painting sessions this week for non-art and art majors as part of its outreach efforts.

At 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, a collaboration between the Columbus Arts Council (CAC) and The W will provide non-art majors an opportunity to paint an Ody owl as a keepsake. Sheryl Jefferies, a student at The W who is an intern with the CAC, organized the event, which will be held at Summer Hall.

Dr. Beverly Joyce, the director of The W Galleries, said The W is excited to partner with the CAC and Gibson, who she said has organized similar events in downtown Columbus and is holding one at The W for the first time.

“We will have tables set up with all of the supplies,” Joyce said. “Experienced artists from The W and the town will be there to help the non-art majors.”

From 1-3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, there will be a paint session for The W art majors to decorate skulls for the MUW Galleries’ annual Day of the Dead altar installation, which will be on display from Oct. 14 through Nov. 4. The come-and-go event for The W students will feature ceramic skulls made by Ian Childers and special markers for the decorations. There also will be papier machè skulls for students to paint.

Joyce said the skulls will be on display for the duration of the Day of the Dead installation, and that students will get to take the skulls home if they wish.

“This is part of our festivities surrounding the Day of the Dead,” Joyce said. “We are partnering with the Spanish Culture Club for some of these festivities.”

Joyce said a related event will be at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1, when The W student presentations will return to The W Galleries. These events weren’t able to be held the past few years due to the pandemic. The second-annual Day of the Dead costume contest will follow the student presentations.

MUW Galleries host senior capstone thesis exhibition

MUW Galleries invites community to paint