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Tuesday, December 9, 2014

A special day for Pittsburg State University and the Community...


More than 1,000 gathered at Pittsburg State University’s new Bicknell Family Center for the Arts to cut a ceremonial ribbon and tour the $33 million hall this past Sunday. 

“More than anything, this day is a celebration of the spirit of this institution and this community,” said PSU President Steve Scott. “Without the support of our students and donors and the incredible work of our campus faculty and staff who helped design this beautiful structure, this day would have never arrived.”

The large gallery in the Bicknell Family Center of the Arts still has some steps to completion, but Chairperson and Museum of Art Director, Rhona McBain said, " We are ecstatic that this day has arrived. It will be a cultural and economic transformation for the community of Pittsburg. We are looking forward to our first exhibition in the new space. We are grateful to President Scott, Mr. Bicknell, the current donors and those that will step forward in future. It is truly a whole community bring our dreams to reality." 
Want to read more about it...














Friday, December 5, 2014

Cars, Cake, Competition, Celebration and of Course...ART

PSU faculty, S. Portico Bowman (Professor of Art, Department of Art) and Nico Prelogar, (Instructor, Automotive Technology) were paired together to provide the content of the ART470-81Art in the Automotive course.

"When I was presented with the course from Continuing Studies, I thought this is the perfect opportunity for collaboration between the Department of Art and the College of Technology. Learn about the art and design plus the technology and automotive...WOW...fantastic course!" saids Rhona McBain, Department of Art's Chairperson.

ART470-81Art in the Automotive fulfills the General Education Fine Art credit for the Bachelors Degree in the Applied Science of Automotive Technology, Pittsburg State University, College of Technology. It is also for many of the these non traditional students the completion of their program.

B. B. Stotts, Director of PSU Graduate and Continuing Studies, who has been working with the students says, "Each student has been working full time plus taking a online course and a traditional course each semester for the past three and half years. This includes courses in the summer time. The dedication and motivation of the students are amazing. "

Last night students taking ART470-81Art in the Automotive at Pittsburg State University's Kansas City Metro Center were in competition mode. The prize was the honor of winning the first place of the first ever Design competition, not to mention bragging rights for the semester's worth of work.


Dr. Karl Kunkel, Dean for the Arts & Sciences, and Dr. Bruce Dallman, Dean for the College of Technology, were on hand to judge the students projects. Each student displayed a drawing, written statement and 3 dimensional clay or polymer clay model based off of their drawing.


Congratulations to:
James Baker, Christopher Beals, Jeffery Brotherton, Roger Driscoll, Joseph Engle, Nick Gambill, Ricky Manhnieo, Amir Moradi, Ken Nelson, Donald Nunn, Andy Riedel, Patrick Ronfeldt, Kaleb Sherry















Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Join us for Neil Lawley's Artist Lecture and Reception!


Artist Lecture:

December 4th, 2014, 2:00 - 3:00pm
Porter Hall Room 103

 

Reception:

December 4th, 2014 3:00 - 4:00 pm
Porter Hall


Pittsburg State University will be hosting a reception to celebrate the exhibition, Point Clouds, in the Harry Krug Gallery. The artworks of sculptor Neil Lawley have been on display in since August 25, 2014. Lawley will present an artist talk Thursday, December 4, 2014 at 2:00pm with the reception to follow.


Lawley’s use of reclaimed lumber and other construction materials aims to evoke the interrelated nature of all things, machined and natural, falling into similarities to Biology, succulent plants, anatomy, molecules, and cloud formations.

Lawley gives his viewer a visible sense of the connections made within the mind. Creating curved shapes from the rigid materials, Lawley acknowledges the contradictions of forms and materials. The use of reclaimed materials is purposeful on two levels: one to imbue the work with a sense of history, and two to preserve the environment at hand, by not participating in destructive consumer models.

By constructing a skeletal structure with smooth connections, Lawley exposes the making process and integration of the forms. Each intersection captures a moment of decision-making as the process is often free form, with only a general concept and materials at hand.

Lawley received his MFA in Studio Art – Sculpture from Southern Methodist University, his BFA in Studio Art – Ceramics and a BGS in Engineering/Art at the University of Texas at Tyler and is AS in Pre-Engineering at Trinity Valley Community College. Currently he is an Assistant Professor of Art at Missouri Western State University.
This week is the last chance for people to see the Point Clouds exhibition. The exhibition closes on December 4, 2014.

Gallery Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 8am - 9:30pm
Friday: 8am - 4:30pm


 

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Senior Art Fair

Pittsburg State University Art Department’s
Senior Art Fair

Wednesday, December 3rd
10am-12pm
Porter Hall
2nd Floor Gallery



The PSU Art Department’s 1st annual Senior Art Fair will showcase the work of fourteen undergraduate artists working in a wide range of media including painting, ceramics, jewelry, illustration, photography, printmaking and more! Artwork, handmade crafts, and other items created by each artist will be available for purchase in the 2nd floor gallery of Porter Hall on Wednesday, December 3rd, from 10am-12pm.

This art fair is an opportunity for our senior art students to show off the work they have created over the course of their studies here at PSU, and for them to engage with the community as artists and businesspeople. The event is the culmination of the Senior Art Seminar, a course in which students learn important skills in marketing and business strategies for artists. Senior Art Seminar students have spent the past semester building their personal brand by designing promotional material, creating websites and portfolios of their artwork, and connecting with online communities through social media.

Assistant Professor Emmalyn Gennis is the instructor for the Senior Art Seminar course. “This is a great chance for the community to get to know our students and the work that they do, and to be able to take home a piece of art with them,” she said. “I’ve been impressed with what I have seen the students creating for this event; they will have a wide range of items for sale, such as toys, cards, and art prints, that would make excellent holiday gifts.”

The artists presenting and selling their work at the fair include Lisa Bogart, Jacqueline Denton, April Huninghake, Jared Jennings, Catherine Jepson, Jeremy Kelly, Rebekah Parrish, Rudi Rodebush, Sylvia Schultze, Jenna Spencer, Kelli Carter, Kendra Wallace, Emily Westhoff, and Nanxuan Zheng.


For more information please contact:

Emmalyn Gennis at 620-235-4300 or egennis@pittstate.edu.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Join us this Friday for Assembly Required: Pittsburg State University Department of Art Faculty Exhibition

Exhibition Dates:November 18, 2014 - January 23, 2015


Reception:
November 21, 2014 4:00-6:00 pm




Nine artists working in a wide range of media including painting, ceramics, mixed-media and metals will display recently created works, some on view for the first time, in the University Gallery of Porter Hall from the 18th of November, 2014 through the 23rd of January, 2015.

There will be a reception to meet the artists on the 21st of November from 4pm – 6pm.

The purpose of this exhibition is to celebrate Pittsburg State University’s Department of Art faculty as professional working artists and to recognize the many routes they have taken to come together as a group to inspire students toward what is often difficult to communicate — self-discovery, imagination and tenacity. The exhibition’s title Assembly Required reflects this thought and also stems from an artist’s need to critically realize the ideas he/she wants to express through art.

Beyond the importance of the show itself, it is of note for another reason. The 2014 Assembly Required Faculty Exhibition will be the last of the biannual faculty exhibitions to be hosted in the University Gallery in Porter Hall.

The next Faculty Exhibition will be in the large gallery space located in the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts. Department of Art Chairperson Rhona McBain sees the last faculty show in Porter Hall as an opportunity to celebrate PSU and community support of the arts, “It is something of which to be proud. We have always loved having the Faculty Exhibition in the gallery located where we teach our students and make artwork. But we are so excited about looking toward the future. We have a wonderful new gallery space coming in the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts, we have wonderful students and alumni that are making that space possible.”


The artists represented in the exhibition include: S. Portico Bowman, Emmalyn Gennis, Malcolm E. Kucharski, Janet Lewis, Josie Mai, Rhona McBain, Deann Norris, James Oliver, and Marjorie Schick. 

More articles about this exhibit:


For more information, contact McBain at 620-235-4302, art@pittstate.edu, or visit the website, www.pittstate.edu/art.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Department of Art is Ready for Scotland!


The Department of Art at Pittsburg State University is gearing up for SCOTLAND with the course, ART 470. Expanding Your Creative Vision!!! 

Lead by Chairperson, Rhona McBain, students of all artistic skill levels are being encouraged to take the course. There is a 2 credit hour course for the Spring semester and the actual trip to Scotland also counts for academic credit. 

The trip to Scotland is also open to alumni and community members. You do not need to be enrolled in the PSU course for credit to sign up for the trip.  


Thursday, October 30, 2014

Last Chance for the Matisse Mash-Up!


It's your last chance to stop by and see the Matisse Mash-Up Student show in the student gallery!

The show's still up for just a couple more days, stop by and check it out if you haven't already!

Gallery Hours:
Second Floor Student Gallery
Monday - Thursday: 8am - 9:30pm
Friday: 8am - 4:30pm
Next semester, the art department is offering several different topics classes to hone your skills!

Life Sculpture (ART*470*01)
Life Sculpture will utilize the figure as a point of departure and convey the study of the figure on paper and in clay.

Tile Making (ART*470*02)
Tile making will explore the various possibilities of utilizing clay in low to high relief, including the use of color, drawing on clay and its potential in a decorative or expressive manner.

Plein Air Painting (ART*470*03)
This course will be an enjoyable and intense semester involving painting on-site in the PSU and Pittsburg Area. Both interior and exterior landscapes will be investigated on a smaller scale.  Students will learn the advantages of plein air painting, as well as the various approaches to working on-site and how to efficiently compose and complete plein air paintings. Emphasis will be placed on how to effectively translate the often complex three dimensional landscape onto a two dimensional plane using thumbnail sketches, limited palettes and the thoughtful use of colors, values, shapes, edges and textures. Further emphasis will be placed on the creative process to make paintings that are more than strict representations of the landscape we see. Multiple demonstrations will be complemented by individual attention and group learning.

Students of all abilities are welcome, provided they have completed Art 277- Painting I. All students should have a basic familiarity with the oil painting medium.

Visual Storytelling (ART*470*04)
This course will serve as an introduction to drawing for narrative media, exploring illustration as a means of communicating ideas and stories. Students will develop their drafting skills as they learn to create characters and integrate them into environments, implementing narrative techniques in composition and overall design.

Editorial Illustration (ART*470*05)
Newspapers, magazines, and other publications often print illustrations alongside text to illuminate or elaborate on some concept for their readers. Students in this course will explore different ways to “draw ideas” and engage with texts to create illustrations appropriate for a variety of publications and platforms.

Automobile: Art & Design  (ART*470*06)
Art in the Automotive is an opportunity to learn about the principles and elements of design as they are applied to the automotive industry. In the first half of the semester students will review, learn or deepen their drawing skills so they are able to design or draw cars, car parts, and additional objects. The second half of the semester will be spent creating a small model concept car, or an art car. The Art Car movement is part of a growing interest in cities such as Lawrence, KS or Houston, TX where creative people turn cars into art for large scale parades and other community events. Students may choose which type of car they will build.

The course  is taught in conjunction with Nico Prelogar from the Department of Automotive Technology in the Kansas Technology Center.

Toy Design (ART*470*08)
Toy Design is an excellent class for any Sequential Art/Illustration students who would like bring their 2D characters into 3D form. Toy Design is a bustling, thriving career opportunity and exposure to the industry and entrepreneurial practices could be an additional direction for you.

Toy Design is an excellent class for 3D Fine Art Emphasis students to deepen their ability to problem-solve and create within an applied focus on manufacturing processes, mold-making, casting and 3D printing.

Toy Design is an excellent class for anyone interested in early childhood development theory, the psychology of play and the history of toys.

Toy Design is an excellent class for anyone who might like to write children’s books or build board games.

The course is taught in conjunction with Norm Philipp from the School of Construction in the Kansas Technology Center.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Student Events


The UAA has a lot of fun events planned for this semester! Drop by the art office in 101 Porter Hall to sign up! Everyone is welcome!

Friday, Oct. 31 - Artwalk Exhibition
Friday, Nov. 7 - First Friday Gallery Hop in Kansas City
Saturday, Nov. 8 - Volunteer at Rumble in the Jungle
Spring break - Trip to New York, Chicago, or Kansas City
End of June - Study abroad trip to Scotland

Friday, October 10, 2014

Faculty Member's Show Reception

Join us today, October 10th at 6 pm, for James Oliver's reception for his new show at artCentral. The show will be up from October 10th to October 26th.

Friday, October 3, 2014

Stunning new exhibition opens to it door to waiting crowd...

Artist David Ingram's exhibition opened in the University Gallery today. Students from Eric High School were ready and waiting to see the work. 





His ceramic and wood vessels will be in the University Gallery from October 3rd through November 10th, 2014. 

 Come meet the artist at the reception on Monday, October 6th at 3:00 pm. 








Tuesday, September 23, 2014


Matisse Mash-Up
September 22-October 24, 2014
An Art Connectors Exhibit
Pittsburg State University Art Department
Student Space Gallery, 2nd Floor Porter Hall
Gallery Hours Monday-Thursday 8:30-9:00, Friday 8:30-4:30

Hey, Cut it OUT!

“Cutting into color reminds me of the sculptor's direct carving.” - Matisse

Pittsburg State University’s Art Education Program invites the public to an interactive exhibit of studio projects and research celebrating the Cut-Outs of Henri Matisse. Viewers can create their own cut-out to add to the collaborative display wall and take home a gallery guide.

"Creativity takes courage." - Matisse

The gallery displays a “mash-up” of original artwork from K-12 students in both Kansas and Missouri. Participating schools include Pittsburg High School, Pittsburg Community Middle School, George Nettels Elementary, Girard Middle and High Schools, Webb City Middle School, Carl Junction Primary 2-3, and Carterville Elementary.

“I would like to recapture that freshness of vision which is characteristic of extreme youth when all the world is new to it.” - Matisse

Art education majors curated the exhibit together in PSU’s course ART 441 Art Education Theory and Practice. They researched Matisse, created a lesson plan and a take-home gallery guide, contacted area art teachers, and conceived of an onsite collaborative piece for the public. Associate Professor Josie Mai acted as Lead Curator of the exhibit and looks forward to more exciting Art Connectors exhibits in the future.