Artwork from one of Texas A&M’s lesser-known collections has found a temporary home on the walls of the J. Wayne Stark Galleries.
“A Book Maker’s Art” features pieces typically housed in the offices of the Texas A&M University Press. The history of the 35-year-old collection was recently documented in a book of the same name and published by the press in August. The various paintings, photographs and illustrations were donated over the years by artists whose work was published through the A&M press. The exhibit will remain open through Oct. 7.
“There’s so much diversity showcased in this gallery,” visualization senior Binh-Nguyen Dang said. “The variety depicts how art, made by diverse people depicting diverse subjects cannot be contained with one medium.”
The display includes works from Edward Muegge “Buck” Schiwetz, winner of the Southern States Art League Watercolor Prize. His work can also be found in the Dallas Museum of Art, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
“I like to see art on campus, so I like to go whenever I know there’s something going on,” Dang said. “Plus this gallery is free. It doesn’t get much better than that. It is encouraging to see successful artists here on campus. As an artist myself, I’m always looking for other works of art to be inspired by.”
Visualization junior Elizabeth Kelly said she hopes to become an animator and is interested in studying other styles of art.
“My favorite piece was called ‘Sleeping Lion’ by Dennis Blagg,” Kelly said. “He really captured the Texas sky and used beautiful colors to depict a dusky evening. It’s a beautiful oil painting depicting the Texas landscape.”
Visualization junior Daniel Arellano visited the gallery to explore Aggie art.
“This is the first time I’ve gone to the gallery here at the MSC,” Arellano said. “It was definitely worth it. Where else can I get access to great art on campus? It’s more than looking at a Google image of a masterpiece — this art is real and right in front of me. It’s a totally different experience.”
Kelly said she appreciates the opportunity to learn about the many Texas artists featured in the press’s collection.
“It’s cool that all of these pieces are about Texas and they’re from a variety of publishings,” Kelly said. “They’ve been collected over the years and it’s cool to know that the art wasn’t just forgotten over time. If no one had displayed them I never would have seen them.”