Events

The Masur Museum of Art Presents:
Earth An exhibition of work by artist Christiane Drieling Exhibition on view in the Upper River Gallery of the Masur Museum August 24 – October 21, 2023
Public Reception: Thursday, September 21, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Talk by the Artist: 6:30 pm
Location: Upper River Gallery, Masur Museum of Art, 1400 South Grand Street *
FREE and Open to the Public

About the Artist:
Christiane Drieling is a collage artist based in Ruston, Louisiana. Born in Germany, she moved to the United States in 2001 and spent time living in Chicago, Illinois. With a master’s degree in Sociology, Psychology, and German Literature, Drieling initially focused on creating whimsical and playful handcrafted objects based on German storytelling themes. Her collections of hand puppets, marionettes, small ornaments, and toys gained recognition at juried art events in and around Chicago. In recent years, Drieling has shifted her focus to collage, exploring themes of individual dilemmas and interpersonal conflicts, including culture clashes, political issues, and societal visions. Her thought-provoking work has garnered attention and praise, establishing her as a successful and respected artist in the contemporary art scene.

About the Exhibition, from the Artist:
A few years ago, I received a nearly complete but outdated set of the “LIFE World Library” books from a close friend. She, being a teacher, had used them as supplementary material in her cultural lessons, and I know and love many of the students who had previously flipped through the yellowed pages. The “LIFE World Library” series was published in the 1960s and was composed of about thirty hardcover books, each painting a picture of a specific country or region, focusing on many angles of its economics and culture. All volumes have solid color backs in a variety of jewel tones, especially deep greens and blues, as well as rich red tones. A small simple line graphic of our globe, usually in white but sometimes black, is printed in the center of the back cover of each book.

Based on these hardcover backs, I have created a series of works focusing on different aspects of how we view our planet, how we feel about it, and how we treat it. The series consists of 24 pieces, one for each hour of the day. The day begins with an end and ends with a beginning. There really is no particular order to the pieces; each work begins and ends in itself. To create the images for the “Earth” series, I have worked with collage techniques, mainly using paper elements from various sources. My goal was to keep the majority of the images simple and the original surfaces as visible as possible.

Sometimes I added sewing thread, inherited from my beloved grandmother, who had sewn and mended my dresses when I was a child. I like to incorporate sewing thread in my work for the many beautiful memories I have of her, and also because of its purpose and the these it conveys: to create and to hold together. I began working on this series in February 2020, and I finished the last piece in April 2022. The two years in between are marked by a number of devastating hardness tests that our global society has not been able to pass yet. The 24 images are my response to what has been happening on the world stage and the effects the affairs have had on my emotional state of mind. I have responded with outrage and anxiety, with numbness and depression – but also with hope and the strong desire to find the goof in each new day.

*Please note the main building of the museum is closed for renovations until November 23. During this time the museum’s River Galleries will be open with this exhibition as well as highlights from the museum’s permanent collection, followed by an exhibition of work by RJ Kern opening November 7.

A. Hays Town and the
Architectural Image of Louisiana

May 25 – August 5, 2023

On loan from the Hilliard University Art Museum
Public Reception: Thursday, June 22, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Talk by LouAnne Greenwald, Director of the Hilliard University Art Museum: 6:30 pm
Location: Masur Museum of Art, 1400 South Grand Street
FREE and Open to the Public

About the Exhibition:

A(lbert) Hays Town (1903-2005) is likely the most recognized and beloved of the twentieth-century Louisiana architects. Town practiced for more than 70 years and was remarkably prolific, designing educational, office, commercial, and public buildings, and hundreds of private residences. A. Hays Town and the Architectural Image of Louisiana focuses on his residential architecture, on which he concentrated after the mid-1960s. The exhibition explores the historic sources and popular success of Town’s residential designs, which created recognizable images of a shared homeland.
This exhibition includes architectural models, blueprints, photographs, architectural drawings, and artifacts from A. Hays Town’s homes.

Copies of the book A. Hays Town and the Architectural Image of Louisiana by Carol McMichael Reese will be for sale at the Masur Museum of Art at $45 each, with proceeds benefiting both the Hilliard University Art Museum and the Masur Museum of Art.

The Masur Museum of Art Presents:

It Shouldn’t Be Revolutionary:
An Exploration of Rest and Taking Care of Black Women
Paintings by K’Shana Hall

Sponsored by The Northeast Louisiana Arts Council

Exhibition on view: April 28 – August 6, 2023
Public Reception: May 11, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Artist’s talk at 6:00 pm

About the Exhibition
K’Shana Hall is a mixed media artist and photographer originally from the south side of Chicago, but mostly raised in North Louisiana. Her method of expression is predominately abstract and is heavily influenced by her culture and experiences as a black woman. K’Shana is passionate about destigmatizing mental health care, and it often shows in the themes of her work. She is a ULM alumna and currently serves as the vice president of the Black Creatives Circle of Northeast Louisiana. BCCNL is a non-profit whose mission is to support black creatives and educate and encourage the visibility and success of black creatives in their respective fields.

K’Shana’s work is known for its unique texture and bold color choices and has been featured on fashion runways, in university exhibitions, in private galleries, and at various museums. She continues to call to the forefront a need for care and restoration for Black women in a world that demands the continued extension of their physical and emotional labor. This body of work presents counter narratives rooted in ease, gentleness, and boundaries, affirming self-determination and autonomy over how Black women care for themselves and how others should follow suit. Her lapis-hued canvases feature repeated symbolism that is almost meditative in nature; they are a nod to the practice of mindfulness and grounding oneself in the present.