"Dazzle Jays" by Merrie Wright

"Dazzle Jays" by Merrie Wright is among the featured pieces in an exhibition of artwork by faculty members of the University of Texas at Tyler School of Art to be shown in Griffith Gallery on the SFA campus.


NACOGDOCHES, Texas - An exhibition of artwork by faculty members of the University of Texas at Tyler School of Art can be viewed Sept. 3 through Oct. 9 in Griffith Gallery on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus.

Guest artists include Gary Hatcher, James Pace, Alexis Serio, Dewane Hughes and Merrie Wright. The exhibition will feature a variety of mediums, according to John Handley, director of art galleries at SFA.

"Similarly to our own annual faculty show, this exhibition features the talents of the artists who teach at UT Tyler and includes painting, sculpture and mixed media pieces," Handley said.

Wright, whose piece "Dazzle Jays" is featured in the exhibition, describes her art as "driven by an innate need to understand myself as well as my relationship to the world around me." She said "Dazzle" explores the figure of the animal and its place within contemporary landscape. Wright is an associate professor at UT Tyler and chair of the Department of Art and Art History.

Occasionally, the SFA School of Art features the art made by faculty at other Texas institutions, Handley said.

"It's a nice gesture to acknowledge other professionals in the field, and this also gives our students an opportunity to see work made by professionals from other universities," he said.

An artists' reception is scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, in Griffith Gallery, which is located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Drive.

The exhibition is sponsored in part by the Friends of the Visual Arts and Nacogdoches Junior Forum. For additional information, call (936) 468-1131.