The University of Central Arkansas’ Baum Gallery will host two exhibitions this spring, “Faculty Invitational” and “From It to Thou: Being Conscious of the Sacred in Nature.” An opening reception will be held 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24. Both exhibits will go up on that day and remain up until Friday, Feb. 15.

The “Faculty Invitational” show features work from almost every full-time UCA art department faculty member, including those in the disciplines of graphic design, sculpture, ceramics, drawing, printmaking, fiber, video and animation and photography. Long-time faculty members whose work is featured include David Bailin, Melissa Cowper-Smith, Jessie Hornbrook, Deborah Kuster, Holly Laws, Bryan Massey, Ray Ogar, Donna Pinckley, Elizabeth Smith and Jeff Young. 

“Our visitors have the opportunity to see the way that each professor approaches her own field,” said Brian Young, director of the Baum Gallery. “Some faculty embrace the process, while others see their work as a commentary on issues that affect us in a social or political sense.” 

As a complement to the “Faculty Invitational,” the Baum Gallery — which is supported in part by the Conway Advertising & Promotion Commission — will host a more intimate exhibition titled “From It to Thou: Being Conscious of the Sacred in Nature.” This show features the collaboration between the newest full-time member to the art department, assistant professor Peter Bella, and James Gabbard, continuing lecturer, Department of Art and Design at Purdue University. Together, Bella and Gabbard have juxtaposed Native American imagery, quotations about those images and typographic descriptions. In short, the audience will see the harmonious intersection of photography, graphic design and the written word.

For more information, contact Baum Gallery Director Brian Young at 501.450.5793 or [email protected].