Austin College | Sherman Texas | December 3, 2017
Mark Smith, Austin College Craig Professor in the Arts, is one of 20 regional artists included in the exhibition “A Celebration of Color” to be presented by the City of Dallas Department of Cultural Affairs December 2, 2017, through January 27, 2018, at the Bath House Cultural Center in Dallas. The exhibition opened with a December 2 reception from 7 to 9 p.m. and features live music. The exhibition, reception, and all other events related to the program are free and open to the public.
The Bath House Cultural Center is located on the eastern shore of White Rock Lake at 521 E. Lawther, Dallas, TX 75218. Hours of operation are Tuesday-Saturday, noon to 6 p.m./10 p.m. on nights with theatre performances. For general information about cultural programs at the Bath House Cultural Center, call 214.670.8749 or visit the center’s website:www.bathhousecultural.com.
Smith, who has been a member of the Austin College faculty since 1986, is a painter and teaches courses in drawing, painting, and design. With more than four decades of experience working as a professional artist, his own work ranges from small paintings to large paintings and murals. As a creative researcher, he investigates the natural sciences, music, and art history as he begins new works. The challenge remains, he says, to strike a balance between structure and creative experimentation.
A press release about the exhibition, curated by visual artist Susan Lecky, says the Bath House Cultural Center is pleased to once again collaborate with Lecky “as she compiles and presents the inspiring works of twenty local and regional artists, whose work vibrantly illustrate the radiance, complexity, and expressiveness of color. All the participating artists are presenting pieces that attempt to engage the viewer with not only the revealed subject matter of the art, but also with the inherent physical, optical, and psychological characteristics of color.”
Lecky said she chose the theme of color and the months of December and January to display her exhibition to bring forth an interesting contrast between the vivacity of the art and the bleakness of the environment. “After I thought about different concepts, I decided that it would be fun to have a show emphasizing color to take place in the dead of winter when it is dreary outside,” she said. ”To me, color is joy, and I get excited when I look at paints, colored pencils, bright flowers—colorful things. Thus the exhibition came about.”
The exhibition features paintings, sculpture, prints, electronic media, and kinetic art by artists Adela Andea, David Bates, Sue Benner, Julianne Biehl, Lisa M. Cardenas, Jerry Dodd, Jeanet (Jan) Dreskin-Haig, Brad Ellis, Billy Hassell, Susan Lecky, Jay Maggio, David McCullough, Bob Nunn, Michelle O’Michael, Danny Rose, Mark Stephen Smith, Cecilia Thurman, Michael Tichansky, Mary Vernon, and Laurie Weller.
The Bath House Cultural Center is a division of the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs. The center is dedicated to fostering the growth, development and quality of multi-cultural arts within the City of Dallas. The center emphasizes innovating visual and performing arts as well as other multi-discipline events throughout the year. Funding for the Bath House Cultural Center is provided by the City of Dallas, with additional support from the Texas Commission on the Arts.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 40 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of approximately 1,275 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.