Janet Suarez
Continuum: Alumni Biennial Exhibition Opens In Gallery
The Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art at Georgia Southern University presents Continuum, its 2015 alumni biennial exhibition, from January 12 – February 21 on campus in the Contemporary and University galleries of the Center for Art & Theatre. The exhibition includes an artist reception on Thursday, January 15, at 5 p.m. in the galleries. The events are free, and the public is welcome.
Continuum: The Alumni Biennial Exhibition features new and recent artworks by graduates of the Department. The exhibit highlights the continued creative endeavors of graduates in the fields of ceramics, sculpture, painting, photography, drawing, video, installation and printmaking. More than 25 alumni are featured in Continuum, with graduates from the 1990s exhibiting beside students who graduated as recently as 2014.
“The premise of Continuum is to showcase the diverse professional art practices that Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art graduates continue to portray throughout their post-graduate careers,” said Anthony Faris, interim gallery director. “We are proud to offer a home where our past students can share their accomplishments in the fields of art and design.”
Nick Nelson, director of the Springfield Art Museum in Missouri, juried this year’s exhibition. Nelson received his MFA from Georgia Southern University in 2004 and was formerly the executive director and curator of education of the Albany Museum of Art in Albany, Georgia.
“When jurying the exhibition, I tried to think about the overall exhibition as well as picking not only strong works by each artist, but also works that to me related to a body of work instead of an assortment of single works by artists,” he said.
The exhibition represents a strong, thematic representation of the talents and creative explorations of graduate students. Many of the artists are expected to attend the reception. Students and the public are invited to attend and meet the artists to discuss their recent works and professional experiences.
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).