SMU exhibit features diverse art through Oct. 5

Winona artist Monta May displays “Communion Circle: 1-10,” part of the dual show with Carol Faber, “Interstices” and “Images of Nature,” on display through Oct. 5 at Saint Mary’s University.




WINONA, Minn. — A variety of unique artwork — including a ceremonial robe, gourds, sculpture, photography, encaustic painting, charcoal drawings, and digital fine art prints — are currently on display at Saint Mary’s University’s Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

Artists Monta May, director of web communication at Saint Mary’s, and Carol Faber, assistant professor of art and design at Iowa State University in Ames, are displaying their work through Oct. 5.

In “Interstices,” May displays encaustic paintings, an ancient art form involving pigment, wax, and heat. Her eye-catching grouping of 5- to 7-foot sculptures titled “Communion Circle: 1-10” meets viewers at the exhibit’s entrance.

May works with materials of all kinds — fabrics, metals, found objects, photographs, beeswax, dyes, inks, wood, clay, glass and paper — to create sculptures, tapestries, garment- and jewelry-inspired artwork. Her goal is to blur the line between art and craft, question the status quo, and build a connection between the ancient and the contemporary. May believes her experiences and involvements lead to fabric for her artwork. She finds rich material for art in diverse areas.

In “Images of Nature,” Faber presents large, bold pieces demonstrating how she uses the computer as an artistic tool of expression. She considers her work emotional responses to events and memories from specific parts of her life, making her artwork a kind of autobiographical record. Faber’s images are inspired by the accidental death of a horse she once owned named Ruby. The colorful, abstract designs depict Ruby’s death and Faber’s perception of the beauty her life gave back to nature.

The exhibit — free and open to the public — is located in SMU’s Toner Student Center. The galleries are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. For more information, call (507) 457-1652.