2013 Faculty Biennial opens at Bradbury Gallery Oct. 10 with Works by Department of Art Faculty

JONESBORO – Every two years the Bradbury Gallery hosts an exhibition of recent artwork from the entire Arkansas State University Department of Art studio and graphic design faculty.  The “2013 Faculty Biennial” will open to the public on Thursday, Oct. 10, at 5 p.m.

This exhibition will feature new work by diverse, talented and productive faculty members including Nikki Arnell, Roger Carlisle, Joe Ford, Shelley Gipson, John Norris, Bill Rowe, John Salvest, Curtis Steele, Kimberly Boyd Vickrey, Susan Whiteland, and Melissa Wilkinson.

Of special note will be the work of Roger Carlisle, a highly regarded faculty member who has taught at the university since 1974 and who will be retiring in the spring.  He will present paintings and drawings that span from his early days at the university through his most recent work.

In addition he will display some examples from a series of paintings, drawings, and published collector panels completed in the mid-1980s that were commissioned by the U.S. Postal Commemorative Society.   A highlight from this set of artwork is the Arkansas Sesquicentennial Stamp that he designed in 1986 for the U.S. Postal Service.  His original design and the official stamp will also be shown.

In Carlisle’s artist’s statement he writes, “Making art, for me, is a magical experience. It has always fascinated me how making a few marks on a sheet of paper can conjure the illusion of depth and distance. I think this was the earliest understanding I had about the power of art, and I still think it is very powerful and important.”

He continues, “I see composition not only as arrangement, but as a force that carries much of the expressive energy of the work. The power of a composition to move a viewer through the image excites me and I try to organize and structure the work so that it has unity and strength of purpose.”

Explaining his subject matter, Carlisle comments, “I grew up listening to my grandfather talk about his farm and the land, and I developed a strong sense of place and a love for landscape as a result. I enjoy the landscape in its many forms and often see things in the shapes of hills, the color of autumn trees, or the light at evening that develop into ideas.

“However, it is not the importance of the place that interests me, but rather the unending variety of shapes, colors, textures, values, and lines that the landscape offers. I build compositions with those elements in mind and often change or re-invent the image. My goal is to make works that express ideas, moods, or feelings through my interpretation of landscape forms.”

The 2013 Faculty Biennial Exhibition continues through Nov. 13.

Bradbury Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, and by appointment.  The gallery is closed on Mondays. 

The exhibition and the reception are admission-free and open to the public.  For more details, individuals may contact the Bradbury Gallery at 870-972-3471, by email at bradburygallery@astate.edu, or visit the website, bradburygallery.com.

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