New faculty Ky Johnston will show an extensive body of stoneware in which he has explored the surfaces by cutting and stretching the clay and by glazes which emphasize those surfaces. Johnston says "I try to make things with respect for my materials, for the history of my craft, and for the people who may use my pieces." Mollie Rushing has a long-standing interest in marbling on clay. Called "ebru" or "cloud painting", Rushing's marbleized objects in the show exhibit surfaces which have been treated with that design technique.

Also working in traditional craft media in a contemporary approach is Interior Design faculty Catherine Koehler. Koehler has continued to explore fiber processes---the sewing machine used as a drawing tool and
the combination of multiple elements of fiber, handmade paper, and silkscreened fabrics result in bright and colorful decorative pieces.

Graphic design instructor Allison Melton will exhibit large-scale traditional collages and digital collage prints on canvas and paper which feature appropriated media images and her own photography.

Pat Brown's body of work is composed of large mixed media drawings and several small works incorporating black & white Holga photographs made while traveling in the eastern United States this past summer.

A substantial number of art faculty are engaged in using the landscape as subject, motif, and symbol. Whether landscapes are local or discovered through travels, "sense of place" is a compelling concept and all of the artists address it in individualized ways. Duncan Baird's return to the Delta after having lived in northeast Mississippi has found him responding to the austere lay of the land and its unique configurations. His drawings and paintings intend to evoke a feel of the land, the water, and the sky of the Delta. Also addressing the Delta landscape as well as old buildings and her father-in-law's farmland are the digital photographs of Kathryn Cascio Lewis. She describes her connection to artists who are similarly involved in sense of place and enjoys capturing scenes she encounters around her all the time.

Bill Lester's images of Dockery in the form of collages and oil landscapes will be a major focus along with his newly-designed turkey trumpets and duck calls.

Kim Rushing will offer landscapes photographed over the past 18 months while he was on sabbatical. His photographs were taken both in the Delta and in the American Southwest where he has traveled.

Going further afield is Collier Parker who will exhibit five landscape paintings done on site in Florence, Italy during this past summer. In them, he has attempted to capture what a native Italian sees and feels about his/her homeland. He chose unique and out-of-the-way views, scenes a Florentine citizen would recognize rather than ones a casual visitor to the city would encounter.

A series entitled "Summer Solstice-Winter Solstice" by Mary Anne Ross was inspired by the changing landscapes which are emotional and timeless backdrops for the symbols and icons that are part of her life and visual language.

The human form, also a traditional subject for many artists, is expressed and defined by Ron Koehler and Cetin Oguz in their respective media. Koehler has returned to the human figure in his sculpture. His life-size standing figures are created from horizontal segments cut from wood and enhanced with color, texture, or metal. New painting faculty member Cetin Oguz presents an analysis of the human body through paintings which combine fluidity, transparency and movements built within the void of the canvas.

The public is cordially invited to the opening reception and to view the art throughout the month. Gallery hours are 8 a.m-8:30 p.m. on Monday - Thursday and 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Friday, closed during holidays. For more information or to schedule a tour, call 662-846-4725.