Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art
Suarez Looks at the Bigger Picture
By: Chinyere Ikedionwu
After working with pastels for many years, Suarez has found a new passion with oil paintings. With her upcoming exhibition, Reflections on Our Time, Suarez explores how light and color is distorted through commercially produced plastic objects. By doing so, she provides a new lens in which to view objects from.
Janet Suarez in her studio. See her exhibition, Reflections on Our Time, in the Center for Art & Theatre from March 17-28th
Not only does Suarez aspire to captivate viewers with her artwork, she also wants to start a conversation about sustainability. To her, it is the small changes that
people can make that will positively effect our environment. “My goal is to draw the viewer into my art so they question what they see, encouraging them to think of how they interact with the natural world and the environmental footprint they leave behind, “ Suarez said. “Thus creating an awareness of even how small changes can create big effects.”
A native of South Florida, Suarez’s background with nature and water is reflected in each painting she creates. By utilizing an array of technical skills, as well as the use of luscious and complex colors, Suarez captivates viewers with her dynamic paintings. “My pieces are fairly contemporary, vibrant, organic, colorful, and they show pattern, movement and spatial play,“ says Suarez.
After receiving her Bachelors of Fine Art from the University of Florida and a degree in Art Education from Kennesaw State University, Suarez taught both elementary and high school art. Suarez now spends the bulk of her days working in her studio on campus, as well as teaching Georgia Southern courses as a graduate teaching assistant. She loves to teach and plans to continue teaching as a professor after completing her MFA program.
As her time winds down at Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art, Suarez remembers all the great times she’s had with her classmates, faculty, and staff. “I love the camaraderie we share in the art department. The faculty is very giving with the knowledge they have accumulated. The interaction we have in this department simply can not be replaced,” said Suarez.
Reflections on our Times will be displayed in the Center for Art and Theatre from March 17-28th. To learn more about Janet Suarez, check out her blog for more information (http://janetsuarez.wordpress.com).
19 renowed faculty share creative works
The Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art (BFSDoArt) presents the 2013 Faculty Exhibition from November 15 through December 13 in the Contemporary Gallery at Georgia Southern University’s Center for Art & Theatre. The exhibition includes an artist lecture by new faculty member Sarah Bielski, on Wednesday, November 20, at 5 p.m. in the Visual Arts Building, Room 2071. A reception for this exhibition will be held on Thursday, December 5, at 5 p.m. in the Center for Art & Theatre. At this time, visitors will have the opportunity to meet and discuss art with faculty of the Department.
This exhibition will feature the work of 19 renowned faculty in all disciplines and reflects each artist’s academic specialty as well as their individual endeavors. “Many of these artists are unique because they spend a great deal of time and energy with their students. Yet, they still manage to continue their own studio practice and produce great work,” said Gallery Director Marc Mitchell. “Many of our faculty members are known both locally and nationally. Having an exhibition such as this allows us to highlight their artistic achievements. In addition, it is a fantastic way for both students and the local community to see all of their works in one space.”
This year the BFSDoArt welcomes two new faculty members, Sarah Bielski and Kimberly Riner, who will be exhibiting alongside Donald Armel, Jessica Burke, Patricia Carter, Elsie Taliaferro Hill, Jessica Hines, Derek Larson, Christina Lemon, Santanu Majumdar, Julie McGuire, Marc Mitchell, Hans Mortensen, Marc Moulton, Onyile B. Onyile, Ed Rushton, Jeff Schmuki, Tiffanie Townsend and Pat Walker.
Ascend Commission
Ascend, a pair of interacting 20-foot stainless steel sculptures to be permanently placed in front of the new Centre for Art and Theatre on the campus of Georgia Southern University, will distinguish the facility as a major cultural center in southeastern Georgia. The project was funded in 2001 by former Georgia Governor Carl Sanders to celebrate the wedding anniversary to his wife, Betty Foy Sanders, and will stand as a monument to Mrs. Sander’s commitment and continued support of the fine arts in southeastern Georgia.
Throughout her life, Betty Foy Sanders has been an exceptional leader in politics, education, and the arts. At many of her public speaking engagements, Mrs. Sanders has included a stanza from an unknown poet: My life shall touch a dozen lives before this day is done. Appropriately, this line denotes the demonstrated impact her generous spirit and phenomenal support has had on the people of Georgia regardless of their constituency. Her inspirational legacy provides the core spirit of the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art where a community of artists-both students and professionals-thrive. Keeping with Mrs. Sanders’ spirit, the department provides a quality formal visual arts education with an emphasis on social consciousness.
Georgia Southern University’s Professor of Sculpture Marc Moulton was selected from a large survey of Georgia-connected artists to design and create the sculptures. Professor Moulton has experience creating large-scale public commissions and working with stainless steel. Professor Moulton has exhibited extensively throughout the United States and has been represented by several professional galleries in Ohio, Utah, Illinois, and Iowa.
While creating Ascend, Professor Moulton drew inspiration from native southern Georgia forms including the long-leafed pine, the magnolia, and the ocean waves along the coast. In addition, Ascend incorporates the idea of the flight of an eagle, a symbol and mascot for Georgia Southern University. Ascend catches the feeling and sense of uplift, or flight, that visual arts and education can provide.
Ascend will be fabricated of stainless steel at the extensively-equipped Ceramics and Sculpture Building at Georgia Southern University. The project will be created through a process of computer modeling, automated laser-cutting, and MIG/TIG welding. An appropriate foundation will be constructed at the site to secure and distribute the sculpture’s weight and dynamic loads. With an emphasis on hands-on teaching, Professor Moulton will include select advanced students in the sculpture-making process. This will provide students with valuable knowledge of and experience with a professional commission.
The sculpture is designed to fit and enhance the entrance for the new Centre for Art and Theatre. It will serve as the aesthetic focal point for the building and celebrate the activities held there. Night time lighting will enable Ascend to act as a physical locator for this contemporary visual arts exhibition center on campus. The lighting also conceptually represents the enlightened ideals of visual arts in society.
The Arts Have Arrived
In what could be compared to a Renaissance, or at the very least a Revival, the visual and theatre arts are soaring to new heights at Georgia Southern as they move their public programming into state-of-the-art facilities in the new Center for Art & Theatre.
1. Center for Art & Theatre Building:
In July 2006, construction began on the Center for Art & Theatre at Georgia Southern University. This 30,000 square feet public facility will house three exhibition galleries curated by the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art, and the Black Box Theatre managed by the Department of Communication Arts. The new Center for Art & Theatre opens its doors to the public in March 2008 and will be a beacon for the visual and performing arts at Georgia Southern University.
2.Visual Art Programming:
Exhibition Program Overview: Visual art galleries in the Center for Art & Theatre offer public exhibitions of visual art created by contemporary professional artists as well as space for display of student art. Galleries in the new Center for Art and Theatre located next to the Visual Arts Studio Building on Pittman Drive offer multiple venues to view contemporary and traditional art and design. A rotating exhibition season presents over twelve exhibitions annually of art and design created by contemporary professional artists and students in the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art.
Contemporary Galleries: The Contemporary Galleries present solo and group exhibitions in two distinct exhibition spaces of art and design by professionals and students working in a range of media, from traditional paintings to multi-media installations.
Annual Student Exhibitions: Exhibitions highlighting outstanding work created by Georgia Southern art and design students from the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art are presented throughout the year. These exhibitions are juried by an external professional and provide students with additional experiences in presenting their creative work publically. Form and Content highlights exemplary works created in foundation level drawing and design coursework; the Annual Juried Undergraduate Exhibition presents selected works completed under the tutelage of Georgia Southern faculty; the Graphic Design Portfolio Reveal presents the professional portfolios of senior graphic design students to the public and art directors in the region; the MFA Biennial presents a juror’s selection of art and design created by candidates in the Master of Fine Arts degree program.
The Betty Foy Sanders Georgia Artists Collection represents a diverse collection of artwork created by artists with a connection to the state of Georgia-whether the artist is native to the state, the artwork is created with materials indigenous to the state, or the imagery is about the state of Georgia. Curated by Betty Foy Sanders since 1967, the extensive permanent collection resides in its own gallery.
The Smith Callaway Banks Southern Folk Art Collection and Research Center located in the Visual Arts Studio Building, houses an extensive collection of folk art of varying genres and media from the southeastern United States.
Ascend, a public sculpture celebrating the Arts at Georgia Southern, greets visitors at the East Entrance. Created by artist and sculpture professor, Marc Moulton, with the assistance of graduate students, this monumental scale sculpture was commissioned by the Honorable Governor Carl Sanders in tribute to his wife Betty Foy Sanders for her life-long civic vision in support of the visual arts.
Sculpture Garden: The Center’s courtyard adjoins the existing Visual Arts Building with the Center for Art & Theatre and features a sculpture garden offering a fourth exhibition space for three-dimensional works of art.