Less than a week after celebrating the legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., Central Methodist University and the Ashby-Hodge Gallery of American Art will open a new exhibit with art featuring black subjects and by black artists.
This year’s winter exhibit includes Afro-American Art, from various collections, and
Catch Fleeting Moments: The Art of Erin Price.” Opening January 26 with a reception, the show will run through April 9.
Each of the Gallery’s three spaces will showcase a unique collection. Works by black artists will be featured exclusively in Gallery 1, featuring artists like Clementine Hunter, a self-taught artist known for paintings of plantation life. Pieces from the Ashby-Hodge permanent collection, as well as from the collections of Dr. Paul and Lisa Schoephoerster (Fayette) and Byron Smith (Columbia), will be on display. In Gallery 2, more works from the Ashby-Hodge collection will be displayed, featuring black subjects from non-black artists.
And in Gallery 3, works by Missouri artist Erin Price will be featured. A native of Camdenton, Price is a teaching artist and educational researcher who champions the connective power of art. Her own art highlights these connections in a collection of lived experiences which shape her personal intercultural identity. Major influences include Betty Laduke, Rick Bartow, and fellow Missourian Thomas Hart Benton.
Price has lived and worked on three continents and throughout the United States, exposing her to a wide array of people, traditions, and cultural histories. Her work has shown internationally in both individual and juried group shows.
Visitors will have a chance to meet the artist at the opening of the exhibit on January 26, where a reception will be held from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. The Gallery will also provide refreshments, including hot wassail, cookies, and candy.
The Gallery will be open every Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from January 26 through April 9 – excluding spring break week, March 21-29. Hours of operation are 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. To schedule a special visit or for more information on the exhibit or the Gallery, contact curator Denise Haskamp at 660-248-6304 or dhaskamp@centralmethodist.edu.