Triennial "EOU Art Program Alumni Exhibition"

Featuring the diverse work of 14 artists, representing 30 years of art program graduates

Cory Peeke | Director, Nightingale Gallery | (541) 962-3584 | cpeeke@eou.edu

28 January 2008

LA GRANDE, Ore. (EOU) - Nightingale Gallery at Eastern Oregon University will present the triennial "EOU Art Program Alumni Exhibition," featuring the work of EOU art program graduates. An opening reception for the artists will be held Friday, Feb. 8 from 6-8 p.m. in the gallery. The exhibition runs through Feb. 29.

Showcasing the work of 14 EOU art program alumni, the exhibit represents a span of 30 years of art program graduates. The artists work in a wide range of media including glass, mixed media, sculpture, installation, painting and photography.

Those exhibiting include nationally recognized 1977 graduates Robert Hodges and Peggy Juve and up and coming 2007 graduates Cody Bloom and Donnie Henderson. Other exhibiting artists are Kevin Boylan, Gretchen Bracher, Ginger Conroy, Andrea Eskelin, Jaime Gustavson, Austin McDonald, Jo Topholm, John Townsend, Nicole Virtue and Erik Whittemore.

The group also represents how far reaching the influence of EOU's art program has become with alumni from as far away as Chicago participating in the exhibit.

In addition to presenting their current work in the gallery, several of the alumni artists will take part in a round table discussion with current EOU art majors on the life of an artist after graduation.

"We are pleased to have such talented artists out in the world representing the strengths of our program and this university," said Cory Peeke, director of Nightingale Gallery and art program discipline representative. "We are even more pleased they have chosen to share their challenging work as well as their insights on life after EOU here at our triennial exhibit."

Cima Katz will be the juror for this year's alumni exhibit. Katz taught art at EOU from 1975-1977 and is currently a professor of art at the University of Kansas. She received her bachelor's of fine art in 1971 from Carnegie Mellon University and her master's of fine art in 1974 from Indiana University.

Katz's current studio work involves the use of mixed media digital and physical collage to investigate notions of re-invention of self, place and family history in an historical context. Her work is regularly exhibited in a variety of national and international venues and her pieces are part of numerous public collections, including the National Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C.; Bibliotheque Nationale de France; the Chicago Art Institute; and the Aberdeen Art Gallery in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Katz will give a public presentation on her creative work at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 7 in Zabel Hall, room 142. The lecture is free and open to the public.

For more information call the gallery at (541) 962-3667 or visit http://www.eou.edu/art/nightingale/exhibitions0708/GallerySchedule2007-08.html.

To request images of artwork for publication or to schedule an interview with the artists or juror please contact Cory Peeke at cpeeke@eou.edu. Please note that opening receptions for gallery exhibits now take place on Fridays from 6 to 8 p.m. The gallery no longer hosts openings on Saturdays.

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