USM Art and Design Faculty Show and Research Lecture set for Sept. 1

Wed, 08/31/2022 - 10:22am | By: Ivonne Kawas

A gallery exhibition featuring recent work by The University of Southern Mississippi’s Art and Design faculty in the School of Performing and Visual Arts opens Sept. 1 with a reception at 7:00 p.m. at the Gallery of Art & Design in the Hattiesburg campus.

In addition to the exhibition, art historian Dr. Jennifer Courts will present a research lecture to be held at 5:30 p.m. in Gonzales Auditorium, LAB 108.

Mark Rigsby, associate professor and museum director notes the works in the Faculty Show reflect the artistic excellence of the faculty at Southern Miss.

 “Our 2020 Faculty Show was an online exhibition due to the pandemic, so we are thrilled to be back in the gallery with this biennial exhibition,” said Rigsby. “This year's show includes works in our areas of expertise including painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, and digital photography. As an extra bonus, we are excited to have art historian Dr. Jennifer Courts presenting a lecture in conjunction with the exhibition.”

In the research lecture entitled, “Painting Court Performance in the Franco-Flemish Fifteenth Century,” Dr. Courts argues a reason for the notable verisimilitude of Northern Renaissance painting by viewing it as a means for members of the rising merchant class to demonstrate their position in courtly society through the recreation of their physical presence within the performative space of the royal court. 

“The meaning of painting in the Franco-Flemish north was not fixed in the fifteenth century,” Dr. Courts explained. “My project explores one valence of painting by highlighting its ability to recreate the lavish interiors of the royal courts and the activities that occurred within. Oil on panel became popular because of its ability to accurately represent the people, objects, and locations of the material world, and ultimately, I examine the relationship between static art and stage performances.”

The exhibit can be viewed at the Gallery of Art and Design in the George Hurst Building, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. For questions about the Faculty Show, contact Mark Rigsby at 601.266.5200.