Past Exhibitions 2012

"Creating Art: In Search of Healing"

Mary Elizabeth and Charles Bernard Rodning Gallery of Art
Glass Cases
October 4, 2012 - December 21, 2012

Glass work from the exhibit, "Creating Art: In Search of Healing," will be on display in the glass cases in the Mary Elizabeth and Charles Bernard Rodning Gallery of Art located on the third floor of the University of South Alabama Library from October 1, 2012, through December 21, 2012. The exhibit highlights recent scientific findings supporting the idea that the process of making art is one of neurological restoration and seems to be an effective tool in reducing levels of anxiety. The exhibit is free and open to the public during library hours.

The artist behind the exhibit is Dr. Matilde Tellaetxe, instructor for the Visual Arts Department in the College of Arts and Sciences. Tellaetxe has an M.D. and Ph.D. in Medical Microbiology from the University of Basque Country in Spain, as well as a degree in Fine Arts from the University of South Alabama. Her knowledge in both art and sciences are what Tellaetxe says motivates her to understanding the science behind the art making process and how it could be used to impact human health and well-being.

"The pieces in this exhibit have been designed to evoke a feeling, a sensation in the viewer that corresponds to the information provided by the scientific explanation," said Tellaetxe. "The intention is to let the viewer experience the impact that elements of art such as color, shape and texture can have on our perceptions and to inform about the science behind those perceptions.

"West of Cathedral Square Gallery"

Mary Elizabeth and Charles Bernard Rodning Gallery of Art
September 4, 2012 - October 31, 2012

Art work from members of the Cathedral Square Gallery is on display in The Mary Elizabeth and Charles Bernard Rodning Gallery of Art located on the third floor of the University of South Alabama Library. The art show features works from local artists such as Roy Walters, Frances Ashcraft, Denise Inge and Mary Rodning. The exhibit will be on display through October 31, 2012. The exhibit is free and open to the public during library hours.

The show, "West of Cathedral Square Gallery," features a variety of styles including: watercolors, oils and acrylics. Mary Rodning, for whom the Rodning Gallery of Art is named, also has works in the show. The collection includes paintings of the local area and features the Gulf Coast, local landscape and captures the atmosphere of lower Alabama.

"Dr. Bob Coleman Art Exhibit"

First Floor Gallery
October 1, 2012 - November 1, 2012

Robert Coleman, Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of South Alabama, is displaying several of his pieces on the first floor of the University of South Alabama library. His exhibit features a beautiful color palette and a large array of abstract paintings. Coleman's artwork will be on display through November 1, 2012. The exhibit is free and open to the public during library hours.

Coleman uses paints to emphasize color and energy rather than representation; however, many people have told him they see narrative qualities in the paintings. Coleman explains some of his paintings resist the narrative comparison and are representative of his urge to dabble with colors and shapes.

"I know that more than likely the design will shift directions until its final form appears to me," said Coleman. "This process is similar to what goes on for many creative writers who describe how a character in their fiction decides what action she or he is going to take and how she or he is going to think. In this way, the character materializes before the writer's eyes much as form will force its shape on the canvas rather than my dictating what the form must be."

"The Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama"

University of South Alabama Library (First Floor Gallery)
July 18, 2012 - September 30, 2012
The 2012 Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama will be on display in the University of South Alabama Library, first floor gallery, July 18 - September 30, 2012. This show is a popular exhibition that travels throughout the region and marks the ninth time it has been shown in the University Library. Art is solicited from all ages of students with visual and/or hearing impairments in Alabama public, private, home and residential schools. These students' art work is unique with emphasis on creativity, color and tactile media. Pieces in this year's show include watercolors, chalk, pastels, finger paintings and multimedia.

Support for the annual statewide contest is provided through the UAB Vision Research Center - Outreach and Education Module, the UAB School of Optometry, the UAB School of Education, the Helen Keller Birthplace Foundation, and the Alabama Federation of the Council for Exceptional Children Helen Keller Chapter of the Division on Visual Impairments.

"Mon Louis Island Art Colony"

Mary Elizabeth and Charles Bernard Rodning Gallery of Art
July 1, 2012 - August 31, 2012

The Mon Louis Island Art Colony brings together good friends to share their love of painting. Once a month, they meet at the home of Linda Tenhundfeld on Mobile Bay to paint and to discuss happenings in the art world.

Their collection of works will be on display in the Mary Elizabeth and Charles Bernard Rodning Gallery of Art in the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Library July 1 through August 31. Included in this exhibit will be the collaborative painting, "Vision of Mon Louis Island."

Members of the Mon Louis Island Art Colony include Lolita Dickinson, Edna Harris, Gordon House, Shery Polansky, Nettie Robertson, Gudrun Russell, Linda Tenhunfeld, and Gail Watson.

"Azalea City Quilters' Guild"

Mary Elizabeth and Charles Bernard Rodning Gallery of Art
May 1, 2012 - June 30, 2012

The Azalea City Quilters' Guild (ACQG) will display a collection of 36 quilts by 13 of its members in the University Library's Mary Elizabeth and Charles Bernard Rodning Gallery of Art through June 30, 2012. Viewers are invited to observe and appreciate the skills and creative artistry required for each work. Guild members are known locally and nationally for their achievements as quilters and artists.

The ACQG is a non-profit organization that contributes to the cultural life of the community "on and off the wall." The mission of the Guild is to promote the appreciation of quilting while members develop their skills and learn new and evolving techniques, as well as educate the community about this American art form.

"Safa Masoud Art Exhibit"

91¶ÌÊÓƵ Graphic Design Student
University of South Alabama Library (First Floor Gallery)
March 4, 2012 - April 27, 2012
Pencil, color pencil, charcoal, pastel, acrylic and oil color were used to create the 27 drawings and paintings in this exhibit presented by Safa Masoud. Safa has been drawing and painting since she was four years old. She is skilled in many types of painting, but her passion is painting portraits. She is a junior at the University of South Alabama and is working on her bachelor's degree in graphic design.

"Natural Impressions"
A Photographic Art Exhibit presented by Tom Meyer

University of South Alabama Library
Gallery (Display Cases)
January 12, 2012 - February 29, 2012

Tom Meyer is an outdoor enthusiast, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of South Alabama, and the current President of the Faculty Senate. He had boyhood dreams of becoming a naturalist and acquired a degree in biology before being inspired by a military stint as a Green Beret medic to pursue a career in Nursing. A deep appreciation of the natural world has remained a passionate focus in his life.

This is Tom's first show ever. He has always considered himself more than a casual photographer, but the digital revolution inspired his enthusiasm to scratch his artistic itches in places he was never able to reach with film. Having one of his pieces selected by Dr. Sue Walker, Professor of English at the University of South Alabama, to be presented to renowned biologist E. O. Wilson, in appreciation of his visit as a Stokes Distinguished Lecturer in 2009, gave Tom confidence that his work would find an audience beyond close family and friends.

Photographic realism is not the primary focus of Tom's artistic style. Rather, he seeks to create images that are evocative of the behind-the-eye experience more than a detailed re-creation of the subject. He accomplishes this through digital manipulation of the raw photo. He is unapologetic about this, likening the computer to a darkroom with ones and zeros as his paint and a mouse as his brush.

Tom has never had formal training in either art or photography. For now he prefers to leave it that way, feeling that his naivete' in this respect fosters an organic approach that more sophistication may interfere with. Indeed, it was only recently that Tom realized that he had developed a definite style: vivid colors, high-contrast, distinctly impressionistic, and always grounded in the natural world.

"The Art of Elaine Byrd and Ainsley McNeely"

University of South Alabama Library
Third Floor Gallery
March 4, 2012 - April 27, 2012

Both Elaine Byrd and Ainsley McNeely enjoy the challenge of capturing the beauty, energy and emotion of the natural world, depicting with incredible accuracy the smallest details of wildlife in their native Alabama.

Elaine was chosen winner of the "Alabama Duck Stamp" competition and placed third in the prestigious "Federal Duck Stamp" competition. She has received numerous awards in other national, state and local contests and has also judged notable state and local contests. Elaine is currently publishing her own limited edition prints under the name "Byrd Art." She specializes in personalized portraits and was commissioned to paint an action portrait of Pete Sampras, the number one world tennis champion at that time. The limited edition prints are hand signed by Pete, one of which was purchased by the Wimbledon Museum of Tennis in Wimbledon, England.

Elaine currently resides in Mobile, Alabama and is active in the art community, having served on the executive board of the Fine Arts Museum of the South, president of the Mobile Art Association and of the Watercolor and Graphics Arts Society.

Ainsley McNeely has drawn and painted all her life. She originally worked primarily in watercolor and graphite then expanded into oil, pen and ink, pastel, sculpture and more recently casein, frequently mixing media to achieve the desired effect. Her oils use a Victorian color palette, giving them a distinctive feel compared to the contemporary colors used by other artists while her pastels are done on a handmade paper with a unique almost leather-like appearance, giving them an antique ambience.

Best known to the public for the series of colorful posters she designed for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, A.D.E.C.A. and others, her work can be seen in museums, galleries, private and corporate collections in North America, Europe, and Australia. Ainsley's wildlife paintings, sporting art, portraits, figure work and miniatures appear in shows throughout the U.S., winning awards in many competitions including the World Wildlife Art Festival, The Art Show at the Dog Show, the Grand National Art Contest and many others. She designed the 2001-2002 Alabama Duck Stamp, is president of the Alabama Miniature Art Society and was inducted into the UMS-Wright Hall of Fame for Fine Arts. Ainsley gives presentations to various art, conservation and business groups and occasionally teaches workshops. She holds a B.A. in studio art from Florida State University and a master's degree from the University of South Alabama.

"Through the Looking Glass with Ann & Frank"
Presented by Ann & Frank Calagaz

University of South Alabama Library
Third Floor Gallery
January 9, 2012 - February 29, 2012

Ann and Frank Calagaz display, for the first time together, a collection of Ann's paintings and Frank's photography, mostly travel pictures from around the world.

Ann is an accomplished artist, working in watercolor, oil and acrylic for over twenty years. She holds an Associate Degree in Art from Faulkner and has taught and exhibited in such diverse places as Paris, France; Poland; Slovakia; and Denmark; as well as locally.

Frank is better known for his business of selling and teaching photography to others through the family business, Calagaz Photo Supply. His photography has been strictly for his own enjoyment as they travel. These images are his first public exhibit.

"Conserving & Enjoying Alabama's Coastal Resources"

University of South Alabama Library
First Floor Gallery
January 9, 2012 - February 29, 2012

This exhibit features the art of school students in more than 40 Mobile and Baldwin county Schools. These young artists participated in an art contest sponsored by the Marine Resources Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The agency has sponsored this show for several years to promote a greater awareness and appreciation for the state's coastal resources. Calendars which feature the art are available in the gallery located on the first floor of the University Library.