Alumni Artists Exhibition

Alumni art show opens exhibit season at Nightingale Gallery

Contact: Cory Peeke | Nightingale Gallery Director
541-962-3584 | cpeeke@eou.edu

September 20, 2011
LA GRANDE, Ore. (EOU) – The Nightingale Gallery of Eastern Oregon University will begin the 2011-12 season with the triennial “Alumni Exhibition.” There will be an opening reception from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30 in the gallery in Loso Hall. The show runs through Oct. 28.

The exhibit features work by 11 EOU alumni, representing a span of 40 years of art program graduates. Their work covers a wide range of media, from drawing to painting to mixed media to sculpture.

Those showing include nationally recognized 1970 graduate Don Gray, as well as up and coming 2009 grads Mariah Boyle and Devin Farrand. Other exhibiting artists include: Shannon Berg (2006); Elizabeth Garton (2011); Jaime Gustavson (2000); Dawn Lepper (2006); Austin McDonald (2005); Jessica Parries (2011); Jessie Street and Marguerite Torres (both 2009).

In addition to presenting a diverse selection of creative work, the gallery will welcome back to campus several of the above mentioned alumni artists.

“We are pleased to have such talented artists out in the world representing the strengths of our program and this university,” said Cory Peeke, Nightingale Gallery director. “We are even more pleased they have chosen to share their creative endeavors and insights with our current students and the regional arts community.”

Devin Farrand, a sculptor and recent master of fine arts graduate of Cranbrook Academy of Art, will give a presentation on his current body of work at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28 in Zabel Hall, Room 142.

Farrand is currently living and working in Los Angeles. He will also take part in a panel discussion on graduate school experiences for art majors at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29 in Loso Hall, Room 116.

Other panelists include Mariah Boyle, a current master of fine arts candidate at Washington State University; Shannon Berg, a recent graduate of Montana State University’s graduate program in art; Jaime Gustavson, a 2007 graduate of Vermont College Union Institute’s low-residency master of fine arts program; and Jessie Street, art educator and 2009 graduate of EOU’s master of arts in teaching program.

Each of the five presenters bring to the conversation a unique perspective representative of a variety of approaches to post-graduate education in the visual arts. The panel will be informative for both current EOU art majors and others who are considering pursuing a graduate degree. Both presentations are free and open to the public.

Nightingale Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information visit www.eou.edu/art/nightingale/index.html or connect with the gallery on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NightingaleGallery.