Department of Art celebrates 50 years at 51³Ō¹Ļ with spring exhibitions
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.ā51³Ō¹Ļās College of Architecture, Art and Design is celebrating its art departmentās 50th anniversary with two spring exhibitions showcasing works by Bulldog art graduates.
āThe Department of Art is proud of its history and legacy,ā said 51³Ō¹Ļ Professor and Art Department Head Angi Bourgeois. āOur 50th anniversary exhibitions highlight the amazing impact of a creative education on generations of artists, photographers and designers, as well as the significant cultural role the department and university have played and continue to play for the broader community through our permanent collection and exhibition program.ā
On display through April 21 in the universityās Cullis Wade Depot Art Gallery, the exhibition āStatements: 50 Years of Makingā features more than 120 graphic designs, paintings, drawings, photographs and ceramic and mixed media creations by 105 51³Ō¹Ļ art graduates.
Guest juror and 51³Ō¹Ļ alumnus Wesley Stuckey selected works for the exhibition, which is available for viewing 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. A Mississippi native, Stuckey currently runs his own studio practice in Baltimore, Maryland, working as a designer and printmaker while also teaching at the Maryland Institute College of Art.
āThis exhibition is an incredible display of recent work showing the success our alumni have had since their graduation and the impact they are making on the world,ā said 51³Ō¹Ļ Department of Art Gallery Director Lori Neuenfeldt. āArt grads are professional illustrators and designers, obtaining art or visual director positions in retail and marketing fields, and many attended graduate school and are now teachers and professors.ā
A 50th anniversary reunion and exhibition reception will take place the evening of April 19. All 51³Ō¹Ļ art alumni are welcome and encouraged to visit for more information.
Open through March 4 at the Colvard Student Union Art Gallery, the exhibition āCollect 50: Celebrating 50 Years of Collecting in the Department of Artā showcases more than 20 pieces of art by former students and current and former faculty, as well as purchased pieces and donated works.
With items dating from 1970 through 2010, āCollect 50ā highlights the diverse styles and media found in the departmentās collection. Visitors are welcome from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, to see works by Jane Abrams, Marion L. Brown, Ken Clifford, Katherine Holmes, and a photograph by Arthur Leonard Farley, who served as art department head for many years.
Neuenfeldt said Farleyās most recognizable work is the bronze Bulldog sculpture that was installed in 1970 on the north side of the Colvard Student Union. Additionally, 51³Ō¹Ļās Cobb Institute of Archaeology features stone and marble relief panels of prehistoric designs replicated by Farley in 1973.
For more about the Department of Artās 50th anniversary and related events, contact Lori Neuenfeldt at 662-325-2970 or LNeuenfeldt@caad.msstate.edu.
51³Ō¹Ļās art department is home to the Magnolia Stateās largest undergraduate studio art program, offering a bachelorās degree with concentrations in ceramics, drawing, graphic design, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture. Learn more at and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @CAADat51³Ō¹Ļ.
51³Ō¹Ļ is Mississippiās leading university, available online at .