MEDIA CONTACTS: Polly Burks
561-297-2595, pburks@fau.edu or
Stacia Smith
561-297-2971, ssmith@fau.edu

FAU's "southXeast" Exhibition Presents Artists from the Southeastern United States

BOCA RATON, FL (January 13, 2005) - The University Galleries in Florida Atlantic University's School of the Arts will present the works of 12 artists from the southeastern United States in "southXeast: Contemporary Southeastern Artists." The exhibition will be presented concurrently in both the Ritter Art Gallery and the Schmidt Center Gallery on FAU's Boca Raton campus from February 11 through March 9, with the dates for each gallery varying slightly as follows: Ritter Art Gallery, January 29 - March 9; Schmidt Center Gallery, February 11 - April 9. The hours for both galleries are Tuesday through Friday, 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. and Sunday and Monday, closed. The exhibitions are free and open to the public.

An opening reception with presentations by artists in the exhibition will take place in both galleries on Thursday, February 10 from 6 to 9 pm. There will also be an artist lecture on Wednesday, February 23 in the Schmidt Center Gallery at 7 p.m.

The exhibition, which features art made in a variety of media including ceramics, painting, sculpture, video and environmental installation, is a highly selective exhibition, presenting a small number of artists in order to show several examples of often large-scale works. The artists selected are predominantly either younger emerging artists or more mature artists whose work has not received attention outside their home state or region. The artists were selected by the University Galleries' director, W. Rod Faulds, who consulted with many of the region's museum curators, gallery directors and artists to review and select works from more than 100 artists. In association with the exhibition, there will be a catalogue with reproductions of work by each artist and an essay by Faulds.

Artists include Amy Pleasant of Birmingham, Alabama; John Salvest, of Jonesboro, Arkansas; Sallie Heller of New Orleans, Louisiana; Russell Biles of Greenville, South Carolina; and Greely Myatt of Memphis, Tennessee. Georgia is represented by four artists: Joe Peragine and Charles H. Nelson of Atlanta, Marcus Kenney of Savannah and Kathryn Refi of Athens. Florida artists include Celeste Roberge of Gainesville, A.A. Rucci of Tampa and Jason Hedges of Miami.

Several of the artists will travel to FAU in association with the exhibition. Sculptor Greely Myatt of Memphis will create a sculptural installation of cypress roots and zippers on the large wall of the Schmidt Center Gallery Public Space. Sallie Heller, an artist who creates works from pre-existing objects, will construct a landscape-like environment with recycled materials in the Ritter Art Gallery. Jason Hedges, whose work usually involves food or liquid substances, will install a sculptural relief that distills berry juice into alcohol. Celeste Roberge, a sculptor who uses stone and furniture, will embed a chaise in a half-ton of stone to re-create one of her signature "stacks," and she will create a new work that stacks stone in a cross formation around four translucent Phillipe Starck chairs.

The exhibition is made possible through support from a variety of sources including: the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, Florida Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts; The Ritter Family Foundation; Bank of America; The Palm Beach County Cultural Council; FAU Student Government through student activity fees; an anonymous donor and individual contributors to the University Galleries. The exhibition is sponsored by David Jones Fine Arts Services of Boca Raton and European manufacturer Kartell Furniture in support of Celeste Roberge's "The Chairs." Special thanks also to the Colony Hotel, Delray Beach and SCP Commercial Printing, Boca Raton. For further information on the exhibition, call the University Galleries at 561-297-2966.

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