“Campsite Plan: Alpha” by Ian Shelly
“Correspondence” by Natalie Shelly
By Sasha Steinberg | Mississippi State University
Recent ceramic installations by Illinois-based husband and wife sculptors will be on display Feb. 4-March 11 at Mississippi State’s Visual Arts Center Gallery.
Titled “Affinity,” the exhibition at 808 University Drive in Starkville features two different styles of artwork by Ian and Natalie Shelly.
“Ian’s work appears gritty, dark and rough, while Natalie’s pieces are fragile, light and minimal,” said Lori Neuenfeldt, the university art department’s coordinator for gallery and outreach programs.
“Both artists are interested in using materials to explore connections and interactions with the world around us,” she added, explaining that “people, memories, traditions and location all contribute to their visual investigations.”
Also open to the public is a 5-6 p.m. reception Feb. 4, at the gallery. The Shellys will be in attendance, and complimentary refreshments will be served.
Ian Shelly (www.ianshelly.com) is an assistant professor of art at Western Illinois University, where he teaches ceramics and 3D design courses. He and Natalie (www.natalieshelly.com) reside in Macomb, Illinois, where she is the ceramics coordinator and educator for the Macomb Park District Ceramics Studio.
In addition to the MSU College of Architecture, Art and Design’s art department, the exhibit is supported by a grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission through the National Endowment for the Arts.
For more exhibit information, contact Lori Neuenfeldt at 662-325-2973 or LNeuenfeldt@caad.msstate.edu.
The Visual Arts Center Gallery is one of several departmental venues that regularly features traveling exhibits, student shows, and group and solo exhibitions by professional artists. Exhibit hours for the gallery are 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 1-4 p.m. Saturday, as well as by appointment. For more, visit bit.ly/MSUArtGalleriesFB.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.