There are two incredible senior art exhibits open for viewing in the UTM Fine Arts Gallery starting March 10, 2020.
The two exhibits include “Dayglocean” by Alex McNeal, and “Honey and Tar” by Caitlin Sanchez.
McNeal’s exhibit, “Dayglocean,” is a brightly colored, mixed media approach to human effects on our oceans and other natural beauties.
“It highlights uncommon ocean species in an attempt to show the diversity of our planet’s oceans,” McNeal writes in her artists’ statement regarding the exhibit. “My goal is to make viewers stop and consider ecosystems and animals they might never otherwise give any thought to, in an attempt to bring about a more conscious interaction between us and our natural ecosystems.”
“Dayglocean” premieres a variety of mixed media works, utilizing various materials and techniques to create an array of colorful, scenic pieces.
“Honey and Tar” has a more personal connection to the artist than an outlook on the planet. “The works in this show all have a very personal connection to the landscape of rural West Tennessee where I was raised,” Sanchez writes. “I wanted to explore the idea of memory, and the way in which it fades or morphs over time along with the places themselves.”
One of Sanchez’s larger works, a mixed media sculpture titled “Revival,” features an antlered animal skull adorned with vines and laying on a mossy surface. The glasswork surrounding it, from her piece “Revival,” is colorful, and the combination of the two works is ethereal and hauntingly beautiful.
“Honey and Tar” consists mostly of woodblock prints on fabric, with a few others featuring glass sculptures and fiber tapestries, and leaves viewers with that odd sense of nostalgia and familiarity.
Both exhibits will be on display in the gallery daily from 1-5p.m. until March 21, 2020.
