Come see how Stacy Gresell’s style and personality is reflected in her artwork, while eliciting differing viewpoints at her Lone Star College-CyFair Bosque Gallery spring exhibition on display through Feb. 20.
"'Salty' encompasses the maritime themes that I'm drawn to as well as the feeling,” said Gresell, LSC-CyFair speech professor and self-taught encaustic painter. “There are a lot of things I'm a bit salty about - climate change, pollution, technology, math, immigration, racism, and the frustration that online students feel – that are all represented in the show.”
This mixed media show focuses largely on encaustic work, which utilizes beeswax and dry pigments as "paint" in layers fired with a torch. Among other mediums Gresell uses in this show are paper collage, acrylic, wax pastel, embroidery, sewing, metalwork, woodcarving/working and found object assemblage.
“Aesthetic dynamism and narrative content generously season the artwork in this exhibition,” said Bosque Gallery Director James Campbell. “Stacy possesses an indefatigable curiosity for the intermingling of formal elements and principles of design in her visual orchestrations of encaustic and mixed media genre scenes, perplexing portraits, socio-historical quotations and otherworldly seascapes.
“Each work challenges the viewer to explore, discover and shift their level of awareness as they embrace the myriad of forms, variations of color and dissemination of enigmatic symbols that hint at the complexity of the artist’s wonderland of creativity,” said Campbell.
In addition to her artist talks at the opening reception, Gresell wanted to provide a way for students to see the greater art connections available outside the classroom. She organized a panel discussion prior to the reception for students to learn about hidden rules and norms in the art world as well as to understand the art show circuit and nuances from requirements to licensing one’s art.
Panelists included Lisa Morales, a professional full-time paper collage artist, and Mitch Cohen, who is a professional artist and arts writer for The Leader Newspaper. Cohen is also director and founder of the First Saturday Arts Market, Sawyer Yards Arts Market, and White Linen Night and a board member for the Bayou City Arts Festival.
"When you are a working artist, you inevitably are part of a community; how tangible that community is, is up to you,” said Gresell. “I wanted students to know that they can sell their art, they can have their art seen and they can make a career out of art if they want to … that art isn't just some class they took in college or some hobby.”
Two upcoming opportunities to learn more about Gresell are at the Tea+Art+Talk from 1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4 and the A.L.L. Open House+Coffee at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11.
The spring exhibition schedule continues with visiting artist Ellen Ray’s “Seen and Unseen” exhibition Feb. 27-April 9 followed with the Student Art Showcase April 23-May 2, which will also include an LSC-CyFair’s design students fashion show. Closing the gallery season will be the work of high school seniors featured in “Bridgeland’s First Class” May 21-June 25.
The Bosque Gallery is located in the Center for the Arts building on the Barker Cypress campus at 9191 Barker Cypress. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. weekdays with extended hours to 7 p.m. Thursdays. For information, go to LoneStar.edu/bosquegallery or call 281.290.5273 or 832.482.1038.