Southern Miss Gulf Coast Library to Host Exhibit of Joely Corban Art

The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Park campus in Long Beach (730 East Beach Boulevard) is very special to Long Beach native Joely Corban. She received her Girl Scouts Brownie pin at a banquet in Hardy Hall in 1978, swam in the pool where the Gulf Coast Library now stands and spent countless summer mornings practicing for high school cheerleading camps held on the Gulf Park campus.

Corban's exhibit, Coming Home, provides the first opportunity for the artist to bring her colorful pastel drawings and oil paintings, inspired by memories of growing up on the Gulf Coast, which included weekend trips to New Orleans and lazy afternoons eating crawfish, to the Gulf Coast Library on the Gulf Park campus.

Artwork in the exhibit also reflects Corban's fascination for the history of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Works feature historic scenes of Gulf Park College for Women and travel by trolley along the beach road. The exhibit also highlights six oil paintings from her book in progress titled Heroines: An Illustrated Study of 12 Stories of Women's Courageous Acts Inspired by God.

A reception is planned for Thursday, Nov. 19, from 4 until 6 p.m. Original artwork and posters will be available for purchase.

The Coming Home art exhibit will be on display in the Southern Miss Gulf Coast Library through January 2016.

The reception and exhibition is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Betty Shaw at 228.214.3450 or betty.shawFREEMississippi.