4.17.2011

Edge of Life at UNT

The Edge of Life exhibit opens this Wednesday, April 20, at the Eagle Exhibit Hall in the Environmental Education, Science and Technology (EESAT) building at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. Dr. Kulhavy and I will present a lecture on how the show came together from 2:30-3:30 in EESAT 130 on Wednesday, with an opening reception from 5-8 in conjunction with eARTh Day events. The show runs through June 10th.

A big thank you goes to Lari Gibbons, Brian Wheeler and James Kennedy of UNT for all of their help bringing the show to Denton. Thank you goes to Gary Parker for all of his efforts getting the show packed safely, and to Lisa Steed, Joseph Alford, Kira Kalondy, and the Cole Art Center gallery guards for their contributions.

We received an Arts Respond Natural Resources and Agriculture Grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts to help get the show to Denton and to help with producing the exhibit catalog this summer.

Additional sponsors include the University of North Texas' Elm Fork Education Center and the Natural Heritage Museum, the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Department of Studio in the College of Visual Arts and Design.






















Installation of the exhibit.

2.18.2011

Edge of Life opening at the Cole Art Center

Installation




The Opening

































































































Photos by Mandi Clay, Lisa Steed and Michelle Rozic

1.21.2011

Edge of Life: Press Release

SFA's 'Edge of Life' exhibition bridges forestry and art

Written by Sylvia Bierschenk

SFA Professor of Art Robert Kinsell's "Family Portrait," an oil on canvas inspired by the pathogen Yellow Cap Fungus, is one of the pieces included in "Edge of Life: Forest Pathology Art," which will open at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21, at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - Works by 32 artists and the forest pathogen specimens that inspired them are included in "Edge of Life: Forest Pathology Art," which the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art will open with a 6 p.m. reception Friday, Jan. 21, at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.

Each of the participating artists (members of the SFA art faculty and ecological artists from across the United States) was assigned a specific forest pathogen, or agent of disease, and given the task to use any medium to create an artwork inspired by that pathogen.

The result is collection of art that ranges from traditional to contemporary, laborious to spontaneous, in both two- and three-dimensional works, explained Michelle Rozic, SFA assistant professor of art and one of the exhibition's curators.

"Our three-part goal is to share science's ability to inspire culture through art, to present a wide range of innovative approaches to making art, and to educate about the field of forest pathology," Rozic continued.

Rozic and assistant curator Dr. David Kulhavy, SFA professor of forestry, organized the collaborative project between the SFA College of Fine Arts and the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture.

The exhibition, which also includes artist statements and short writings from forest pathologists explaining each pathogen and its significance within its ecosystem, is designed as a traveling show that will be supplemented with a 100-page, full-color book scheduled for publication in August.

'Edge of Life' bridges the fields of forestry and art and provides a catalyst for discussion over pathogens and invasive species affecting the health of our forests, as well as how artists communicate concerns about contemporary ecological issues," said Kulhavy. "By making the exhibition available to other museums and galleries, we can share its messages with viewers outside of East Texas."

The opening will include a panel discussion in which the curators will be participating, and many of the artists will be in attendance. "Edge of Life" will be on display in the Ledbetter Gallery until Saturday, March 26. Regular gallery hours are 12:30 to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is free.

The exhibition is sponsored in part by a Faculty Research Grant provided through SFA's Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, SFA Friends of the Visual Arts and Nacogdoches Junior Forum.

The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, please call (936) 468-1131.

1.18.2011

Pathogen Distribution in the Forest

This image shows the relationship the pathogens in the exhibition have with their host and the environment.











Please click on the illustration for a larger view.

Design by Michelle Rozic with technical assistance by Dr. David Kulhavy.