Gallery of Art & Design Presents “Slide” by Mary McDonnell

Tue, 01/28/2020 - 08:39am | By: Mike Lopinto

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Gallery of Art and Design presents “Slide” by Mary McDonnell as part of the Visiting Artist Series from Jan. 30 until Feb. 21. An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Jan. 30 at 5 p.m. at the Gallery of Art and Design.

On Feb. 20, Visiting Artist Mary McDonnell will give a lecture at 5 p.m. in George Hurst room 123. A closing reception will follow shortly afterward at 6 p.m. in the Gallery of Art and Design with a dance performance at 6:30 p.m. The Visiting Artist lecture, dance performance, and events are made possible through the generous support of Partners for the Arts.

“Slide” brings together 12 abstract oil paintings completed over the last five years. Works such as itsnotyouitsme (2015), U-Turn (2019), and Tickle, Tickle (2018) will be featured on display from Jan. 30 until Feb. 21.

“I chose ‘Slide’ as the title of the exhibition for its rich associative meanings, apt descriptors of my painting process,” said visiting artist Mary McDonnell on her exhibit. “Words like slip, slither, shift, crawl, flow, move, displace, glide, slink, snake, sneak and steal describe both physical and psychological states that I experience while painting.”

The dance performance on Feb. 20 will feature choreography by USM dancers and faculty member Brianna Jahn, created in collaboration with McDonnell over the course of the exhibit.

“Our piece brings into focus the symbiotic relationship between our two disciplines, and will culminate in a live presentation,” continued McDonnell. “This takes place in the museum during Slide’s closing reception. (It) surely adds another layer of humanity to the work.”

Mary McDonnell’s expressive abstract paintings visualize her sensory experience of the natural world. McDonnell’s practice is at once meditative and active: her painstakingly layered washes of ink, paint, and turpentine suggest ambient noise or variegated light, while vigorous marks made with unconventional tools like bamboo, sticks, and rubber convey staccato notes and earthy physicality.

For more information, contact Mark Rigsby at (601) 266-4973.