Nutting Gallery at West Liberty University proudly presents 5×6, the gallery’s first exhibition of the 2013-14 season, featuring five different artists, each showing six pieces of work. Participating artists are Ron Copeland, Kyle Hallam, Jeff Pierson, Eric Price and Randie Snow. The opening reception for 5×6 is from 5:30 – 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 4.
- Ron Copeland is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Pittsburgh. He’s a photographer and graphic designer who turned to silk screening and stenciling. His interests in recent years have focused on exploring abandoned spaces of the city. Taking fragments of what remains of houses or buildings, he recreates the space of a life left behind, using remnants of human activity in areas now fallen into decay.
- Pennsylvania artist Kyle Hallam worked predominantly in clay for about 25 years, creating brightly colored terra cotta hand-built pots and wall assemblages. Five years ago, he began incorporating clay elements into wall assemblages that he created from recycled materials such as cardboard, tin cans, fabric, rope, etc. During the past 18 months (with support of grants from the Sprout Fund and the Community Foundation of Greene County, and private donations) he designed and implemented an Arts & Crafts program to work with the mentally and physically challenged clients at Greene ARC in Ruff Creek, Pa.
- Randie Snow is an assemblage artist based in Pittsburgh. Drawing themes from her everyday life, her work explores the natural balance of the human existence and often strives to find harmony amongst seemingly contradictory ideas. Influenced by her background as a commercial graphic designer, Snow’s assemblages integrate a balanced visual aesthetic, frequently by contrasting color, shape, and texture. Individual found objects, both man-made and natural, inspire her work, each bring a sense of energy and life lived. They take on emotional, almost human qualities that create a collective voice, ultimately telling the story of their combined experience.
- Artist Jeff Pierson holds a BFA in Illustration from the Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, Ohio. He has been the director of arts at the West Virginia Division of Culture and History; gallery assistant at the Annex Gallery at Taylor Books, Charleston, W.Va.; art director for Wonderful West Virginia magazine; as well as doing freelance design and illustration.
- Artist Eric Price attended West Liberty University on a Portfolio Review Scholarship in August of 2000, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in December 2005. Price currently resides in Lansing, Ohio, where he creates his hand-built sculptures and bobble heads by commission. “I feel my interest in sculpture originates from my childhood fascination with toys. Because of that, I view my sculptures as personalized action figures for both myself, as well as my clients,” he said. Price recently showed his pop-culture theme work at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles and Chelsea, New York.
All Nutting Gallery exhibitions are free and open to the public and the gallery is open 8:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Evenings and weekends are by arrangement. For additional information, please contact Nutting Gallery Director and Assistant Professor of Art Robert Villamagna at 304-336-8370 or at rvillama@westliberty.
AUGUST 29, 2013 BY MZAMBITO