PRESS RELEASE
November 6, 2007
From: Rebecca Rands Eisenhauer, Graduate Assistant, WNMU Francis McCray Gallery of Contemporary Art: McCray Gallery Press Release
Subject: BFA Senior Exhibit Opening on November 9: Symbolic Convergence
The community is invited to the opening reception for the BFA Senior Exhibit entitled Symbolic Convergence at the Francis McCray Gallery on the WNMU campus. Showcased will be work by Aurelia Ford, Jessica Salas and Jaime Smith. The Artists’ Opening Reception will be Friday, November 9, 2007 from 4:30 to 7:30 pm. Each artist will present an Artist’s Lecture in conjunction with the exhibit, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments and live music will be provided. The show will close on December 14, 2007.
As revealed in her Artist’s Statement, Aurelia Ford’s greatest artistic influence was her father, Baldwin Ford, a musician, composer, playwright and artist. He encouraged her to draw, paint and create as soon as she could hold a pencil. As an artist she has been experimenting with encaustic, a form of painting that incorporates bees wax. She is intrigued by reflections, the bending, elongation and contorting of images as reflected in water, mirrors, glass and metals, and with the interplay of light and shadow.
Jessica Salas has said that she loves to take pictures, although she stays away from being photographed herself. Her artwork evolves from the depths of her imagination; altered by her soul and invigorated by her heart. Her life is told through her art. She uses mediums that she is comfortable with: photography, graphite and charcoal, yet she is never afraid to tackle new mediums. Her ambition is to leave a legacy of the most wonderful memories and stories as seen through her art.
Jamie Smith stated that he creates wheel-thrown sculptural ceramic vessels based on traditionally functional forms. Most of the glaze materials that he uses are found locally and give the work a regional significance. His work is the result of geological experimentation, of taking minerals to extremely high temperatures to see how they change. The objects that he produces range from environmental sculptures to two-dimensional fired paintings. Jamie creates paintings that inspire quiet meditation. His ideas come from the sincerity found in arboreal forms.
The public is invited to visit the gallery anytime during normal hours to see this exciting show. The gallery is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.