A reception will be held at the Dunbar Gallery for four members of Grambling State University’s Department of Art faculty today from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The display of works is part of the Annual Faculty Exhibition which will end on Feb. 6. Artists exhibiting works are Donna McGee, Rodrecas “Drék” Davis, Tommie Sue Slaughter and Larry Holston.
Donna McGee
McGee, head of the Department of Art, will exhibit traditional landscape paintings. The changing seasons, the evolving landscape and the effects of climate on growing things are inspirations for her work. These paintings reflect her love for the colors and textures of the natural world.
“Teaching has revived an interest in more traditional approaches to painting. My interest in hiking provides the subject matter. I work on small lightweight boards that allow me to easily carry painting materials,” McGee said.
McGee holds a bachelor of science in art education from Mississippi State University, a masters in Counseling from Mississippi State University and Master of Fine Arts in Studio, Painting and Drawing from Louisiana Tech University. Her oil, watercolor, and mixed media works have been included in numerous regional and national exhibitions including the Taos Watercolor Society’s 7th Annual Juried Exhibition of American Watercolor, Taos, N.M.; the Mississippi Watercolor Society’s Grand National Juried Exhibition; the Society of Watercolor Artists Annual Juried Exhibition, Fort Worth, Texas; and the Masur Museum’s 28th International Juried Exhibition in Monroe; and Louisiana Watercolor Society’s 37th Annual International Juried Exhibition, New Orleans.
Rodrecas “Drék” Davis
“Drék” (pronounced Dreek) Davis is a native of Monroe, Ga., and a 2006 graduate of the University of Georgia Fine Arts program. Davis is an assistant professor in the Grambling Art Department. Davis sometimes incorporates his journalistic and musical experience as a complement to his visual artwork.
While he is officially a professor of art, he is also a devotee and creator of art. He uses the fact that he is a living, breathing artist to show that art is all around and has the potential to shape lives. Davis’ contribution to the exhibition is a site specific installation piece. While malleable in meaning, the core materials remain the same – a chalkboard and a chair. In the interest of battling ignorance, he looks for “teachable moments.” It is his hope that this work facilitates such moments.
Larry Holston
Holston, assistant professor of art, will exhibit recent paintings. Holston received his bachelor of arts degree in art Education from Grambling State University and a master of arts in Art from Northwestern Louisiana University. His paintings show expression of life using vibrant color that sets a mood. As creator of the work he hopes the viewer feels a sense of happiness or excitement.
“Colors are expressions, colors are life and colors reveal what being alive is all about,” Holston said.
Tommie Sue Slaughter
Slaughter, assistant professor in the art department, received her MFA from Louisiana Tech University. She works in the medium of clay because she relishes the opportunity to explore the elements of earth, air, fire and water.
Her approach to these pieces is process oriented leaving the work open for change while following creative instincts. Her ceramic forms use a combination of processes including throwing, coil and slab building, pinching, sculptural techniques and various methods of firing.
Slaughter explores themes of femininity, sensuality, and spiritual awareness. She uses found objects and elements gathered from nature to inspire her thought process.
“My beliefs in the creation of the universe are confirmed when I see the complexities of the human form and the magnificence of the designs in nature,” Slaughter said.
Her latest work explores the spaces and the feelings she experiences as the cycle of life continues through her children and grandchildren.