Gallery 219 at Eastfield College

Eastfield College art student, Cathy Night is on a roll!  Her work, Smart Water  was recently exhibited in two exhibitions in the district and won awards at both.  Juror, Paul Villinski chose Cathy’s work for a juror award in the Richland College juried exhibition, Water, More or Less.  Smart Water was also exhibited in the League for Innovation exhibition at Mountain View College, winning a spot in the National League for Innovation Exhibition.

Ten students had their work selected by a panel of Eastfield Faculty to compete in the League for Innovation Exhibition at Mountain View College from January 19 - February 12.  Congratulations to James Fuqua, Antony Sarelli, Cathy Night, Bada Bell, Marquita Beard, Judy Sullivan, Ruben Jimenez, Jerry Sims, Mackenzie Floto and Amelia Morris.  Additionally, Cathy Night received the high honor of having her work chosen by jurors MK Semos and Hugo Garcia-Urrutia of Decorazon Gallery to compete in the national League for Innovation Competition.  Cathy’s work will also be featured in the 2010 League for Innovation catalog.

Espey photographs forgotten, empty and sometimes dilapidated basketball courts which a passerby might see as mundane and inconsequential. However, by photographing these objects and their surroundings, Espey is calling attention to that which we have made insignificant. Espey explains that our society has traded the communal practice of engaging in outdoor recreation for sitting in front of our televisions, computers and video games – hence the empty and dilapidated courts. Mundane or not, the courts – or rather the way in which they are photographed – present an eerie intimacy drawing us into the photographers view – one that is perhaps filled with longing for the past or a resurrection to our previous technology free world. Unsettling to look at, Ben Espey’s photographs remind us of what is left behind in the face of progress.

Espey holds a Bachelor of Science in Photography from Sam Houston State University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of North Texas. He currently teaches photography at Eastfield College and Tarrant County College.

Lapthisophon, MFA graduate of The School of The Art Institute of Chicago is an artist and educator working in the fields of conceptual art and critical theory.  Lapthisophon has taught at Columbia College, School of the Art Institute, and Southern Methodist University.  Stephen currently teaches art and art history at the University of Texas at Arlington.  His work is represented locally by Conduit Gallery.

The annual juried student exhibition is open in Gallery 219! Show dates are April 27th through May 8th, with a reception on Friday, May 8th, from 6-8pm. Juror Natalie Macellaio, artist and president of 500X gallery, will attend the reception and speak about the work she selected.  A few works featured in the show:

  Above foreground: Marjorie Burditt, Background: Billie Heath

Above: Mackenzie Floto

 Above: Frank Nelson

Above: Cherish Kenney

On 4/20/09, Gallery 219 hosted a closing reception for the MISD Future Makers show. From the wealth of talent present, Eastfield faculty and staff had a difficult time selecting six students for special recognition. Of those six, three finalists were chosen to receive awards for their work:

Marisol Sanchez, West Mesquite.

Meagan Smith, Poteet.

James Cameron Turill, Mesquite.

On April 3rd, visitors to the gallery participated in an engaging conversation with Jorge Misium about his installation project, Skunk Works.

From March 2 to April 3, Gallery 219 presents an installation project by Professor of 3D Design and Sculpture, Jorge Misium.  From the press release: “This space transforming installation, breaking the boundaries of wall and ceiling, and wrapping the viewer in a participatory sound and movement experience, demonstrates Misium’s interest in creating spaces that directly engage the visitor.”

More information: HERE

study from Misium’s sketchbook:

detail from installation:

Gallery 219’s first exhibition of 2009 came to a close on Feb. 13th, with a well-attended gallery talk by the artist. Ryder Richards spent some time discussing the ideas behind his most recent collection of work. 

 Also featured in conjunction with Richards’ closing reception was the Ryder Jon Piotrs Nomadic Gallery, a mobile art gallery inside a rented Ryder truck, which was parked in Eastfield’s upper courtyard for the day. The Nomadic Gallery featured the work of five artists: Richards, Piotr Chizinski, Lauren Boldon, Jonathan Whitfill, and Sue Anne Rische.