The Department of Fine Arts sponsors the Art Gallery Series, hosting varied shows of two and three dimensional works showcasing local and regional artists. Exhibits change regularly throughout the academic year.

The mission of the art galleries program is to present exhibitions that support and enhance the academic goals of the visual arts program at Francis Marion University, providing a non-profit institutional setting in the service of society for educational purposes. Under the supervision of the Fine Arts Department faculty, the galleries curator is committed to researching, exhibiting and interpreting for the purpose of study, objects, activities, and documents focused on the visual arts.

Art galleries are located in both the Hyman Fine Arts Center and the Smith University Center. The University Center Gallery is in the main commons area and is optimized for secure display of large two-dimensional works. The Fine Arts Center Gallery features large cases along glass walls, allowing three-dimensional works to be displayed and viewed from the outdoor breezeway as well as inside the commons serving the Fine Arts Theatre and Adele Kassab Recital Hall. A lighting grid and configurable display partitions provide a flexible gallery space for two- and three-dimensional works throughout the remainder of the gallery.

Senior shows are required of all students majoring in Visual Arts. At the end of each semester, the galleries also feature works produced by students enrolled in studio art classes. These shows give students hands-on experience in selection and installation of artworks, publicity of exhibition, and external review by the University community and general public.

The Galleries Curator then selects among distinguished regional artists to fill out the Art Gallery Series schedule in order to have two- and three-dimensional shows changing regularly throughout the academic year. Whenever possible, gallery openings are designed to coincide with First Tuesday Arts Event concerts, a series of light and varied chamber music recitals held in the Kassab Recital Hall adjacent to the Fine Arts Center Gallery.

Below find information about some of this season's exhibitions. Please check the Arts Calendar for more information about First Tuesday concerts as well as the Art Gallery Series schedule. Gallery hours are typically 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Monday-Friday except during summer session June 5-August 11, when hours are 8:00 am - 5:30 pm Monday-Thursday and 8:00-11:30 am Friday.

A Dance of Fire: New Works by Feather Pottery & Interiors
Sasha & Tari Federer

"Working in clay represents, for me, a timeless desire to combine objects of use with beauty, by creating the unique from the ordinary, and to experience beauty in everyday moments."  - Sasha

Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia Republic, Sasha has lived in USA for half his life, in Florence for twelve years -- as a clinical neuro-psychologist by profession, and as a potter by passion.  He studied pottery in Washington and Wisconsin, worked three years as a professional potter in New Hampshire and served as artist-in-residence with the National Endowment for the Arts.

"Working with clay represents the interconnectedness with the forces of nature that surround and inspire us, along with the shapes that evolve from deep within. My mission is to combine these shapes and forces into art form and functionality." - Tari

Spending much of her life in the Southwest, Tari studied as an art major at Ventura College and the University of California Santa Barbara.  Five years ago she closed her studio in North Carolina and moved to Florence, SC, to marry and join forces with Sasha.  Their joining has resulted in a creative collaboration in their quest to create in clay at their studio, Feather Pottery and Interiors in Florence.

Southern Fried

Ceramics Surfaces Symposium
Potters Council Regional Conference

Vessels: Ceramics by Hiroshi Sueyoshi
Artist's Slide Lecture and Gallery Talk:
Thursday, September 28, 2:00 pm
Kassab Recital Hall (adjacent to FAC Gallery)

"My inspiration comes from information about nature and an appreciation of nature that includes humans as part of nature. I would like to see landscapes, movement, and spaces in nature in my work. I also enjoy creating tension inside spaces and outside spaces which draws me to the challenge of creating vessels as sculptural form."

A native of Tokyo, Japan, Sueyoshi works primarily in thrown and hand built porcelain using the Japanese neriage and nerikomi techniques of sandwiching and faceting uncolored and colored porcelain.  Sueyoshi studied at Tokyo Aeronautical College and Ochanomizu Design Academy prior to becoming an apprentice with Masanao Narui in Mashiko, Japan in 1968. He moved to the United States in 1971 to help design and build Humble Mill Pottery in Asheboro, NC. Since then, Sueyoshi has lived in North Carolina and has worked with Seagrove Pottery as a production potter and with the Sampson Arts Council in Clinton as a pottery instructor. Currently an artist in residence, Sueyoshi works and teaches at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, NC. His pieces are in many private, corporate and institutional collections around the country.

Gallery Reception: Tuesday, 5 September
7:00-8:00 p.m., Hyman Fine Arts Center Gallery

Art Gallery Series
August 8 - October 26, 2006
Smith University Center Gallery

Retrospective: Paintings of John W. Baker

4-Series: Drawings and Sculpture by Linda McCune

"Expiatory, documentary works retain their urgency and vitality for me because of their attachment to and concern for life issues.  In these works an understanding of the past and present emotional and ethical struggles join and give explanation to each other as they magnify the universal leveling effect of time.

These mimetically stated yet strongly symbolic objects have an even more rich abstract metaphorical language inherent in their use and inherent in the message of the craft process used to produce them.  As objects, they have a formal and informal ritual base.  This combination of visually appealing surfacing and underlying message seems to me to have the most possibilities for exploration of both emotional and scope in depth content."

McCune received her MFA from the University of South Carolina.  Currently, she is involved in two traveling exhibitions: Suitcase Exchange for Tri State Sculptors which travels to 12 sites including New Zealand and an invitational sponsored by six Southern States' art agencies.  She is on the faculty of the Visual Arts Department at Greenville Technical College. 

Predicated by Loss:
Ceramics by Doug Gray

`It has been said that every adoption is predicated by loss—the loss of a child, the loss of parents, the loss of that biological thread that binds past, present, and future. When I first read these words, I was angered by the premise, almost inexplicably so.  The idea seemed in direct conflict with my personal experience in which adoption was a joyful union, a gift, even a panacea.   But on further reflection, I realized that this issue of loss, while not immediately or persistently apparent, is nonetheless an issue that must be addressed as one goes about living one’s life.  One carries this loss with them just as they carry the memories, regrets and uncertainties resulting from the loss of any loved one, known or not.

"This series was created to address the dichotomy present in joy predicated by loss and also to address the redemption found in accepting both.  Perhaps more than ever before, I sought to develop a visual narrative in the work, combining symbolic imagery and forms to better illustrate those sacred moments in which a child is passed from set of hands to another.  The vessels are derived from a few essential forms: bells that call out and bring together, prayer wheels and temples that house our most sincere desires and wishes, and finally cisterns that bring the very sustenance of life.  The imagery is also laden with symbolism as the fish represent fertility, birds are the couriers from this world to the next, gingko leaves represent a slow and deliberate growth, fingerprints touch upon the very maze of identity, and the almost whimsical fortune cookie encapsulates the very mystery of what fortune might lie ahead."

Douglas E. Gray, Fall 2006

Student Works by FMU Photography Classes

As the semester's end nears, students in the various Visual Arts studio classes take part in the selection and installation of representative works created during the semester.  In addition to the experience students gain in the selection and installation process, this allows the students' works to have broader adjudication by the student body at large and by the general public.

Senior Shows by Graduating FMU Visual Arts Majors Jennifer Hart, Jamel Howard, James Lesley, Jolene McClary and Ashley Seegass

Student Works by FMU Painting Classes

As the semester's end nears, students in the various Visual Arts studio classes take part in the selection and installation of representative works created during the semester.  In addition to the experience students gain in the selection and installation process, this allows the students' works to have broader adjudication by the student body at large and by the general public.

Student Works by FMU Ceramics Classes

As the semester's end nears, students in the various Visual Arts studio classes take part in the selection and installation of representative works created during the semester.  In addition to the experience students gain in the selection and installation process, this allows the students' works to have broader adjudication by the student body at large and by the general public.

Carolina Seasons:
Pastels by Tulla Lightfoot

"I have been creating pastel drawings inspired by the farm and river scenes found in my area of the Carolinas for the past four years.  The rustic scenes of tobacco barns and natural scenic rivers are quickly giving way to housing developments as our population shifts from that of tobacco farming to retirees and I am trying to preserve and draw attention to the unique treasures that we still have.

"For many years I created work using electronic media such as computers and lasers to create holograms.  Tiring of expensive lasers, dangerous chemicals and technology, I decided to pick up a pencil and draw. For this series I used pastels.  I like the feel of the materials and I enjoy getting messy when I work.  I also enjoy the ability to use pastels on top of each other to get changing effects."

Tulla is an associate professor of art at UNC Pembroke. She has exhibited, travelled and taught in the USA, Mexico, France, and Canada.

Sentimental Epistemology:
Ceramic Head Pots by David Hooker

Soulscape: Paintings by Harry Arnette McFadden and Tim Green

"I've always believed that every picture told a story.  The most amazing part of painting is that every person that sees it can come up with a different meaning.  I love to hear people tell me what this painting means to them.  Sometimes that is the inspiration for the next painting." Tim Green, a Darlington native, graduated from Benedict College with a BA in commercial Art and Design.  He currently works as a graphic artist and lives in Florence, SC.

Harry Arnette McFadden is a self described Afro-Carolinian. He grew up in a community called White Oak, tucked away between Lake City and Kingstree, South Carolina. He describes his artistic gift not as self-taught but as God-inspired. Harry has been influenced by the artwork of William H. Johnson to favor bold colors, storytelling, and complex compositions that seem simple. McFadden's love for the arts has led to the self-expressions he shares with the world. He has exhibited with James Brown's Visual Soul (a musical festival held annually in Augusta, Georgia) and local arts councils.  His artwork is in private collections throughout the east and west coasts. He received his bachelor's degree from Francis Marion University and masters in Creative Arts from Lesley University. He is currently employed with the Palmetto Youth Academy in Florence, South Carolina as an art, science and movement instructor.

Pit-Fired Clay Installation:
Sculptures by Mark Gordon

"A work of art can serve as societal critique, express personal dream imagery, make reference to archaeological artifacts, explore abstract spatial and temporal concepts, or commemorate and focus ritual. 

"My work as an artist began with exploration of the inherent properties and historical uses of ceramic raw materials transformed through fire. Discovering claywork in the early 1970’s was a revelation: the quintessential physicality of this common earthy material, with its remarkable ability to capture and retain any fleeting physical impact or impression, immediately and permanently captured my interest.

"Clay is a universal medium, and potters and their vessels have formed an essential part of material culture.  My aesthetic has been formed and informed by my travels to document traditional artisans throughout the Mediterranean and around the Caribbean.  From the backyard brickmakers in Aswan and semi-tropical northern Argentina, to isolated wheelthrowers in central Turkey and southern Spain, to a potter making drain pipes on the wheel in northern Syria--these creators make objects to be sold and used, and sometimes to be taken for granted in their function."

Mark Gordon's work can bee seen in Ceramic Monthly, Clay Times and Potterymaking Illustrated magazines.  He has exhibited extensive throughout the United States and the world.  Gordon is Associate Professor of Art at Barton College in Wilson, North Carolina.

Student Works by FMU Drawing Classes

Senior Shows by Graduating FMU Visual Arts Majors:
    Emily Becker
        Anna Dempsey
            Matthew Donaldson
                Jessica Dunn
                    Robert Jones
                        Jay Myers
                            Brooke Parks
                                Antonio Shaw

Student Works by FMU Painting Classes

As the semester's end nears, students in the various Visual Arts studio classes take part in the selection and installation of representative works created during the semester.  In addition to the experience students gain in the selection and installation process, this allows the students' works to have broader adjudication by the student body at large and by the general public.

Senior Shows by Graduating FMU Visual Arts Majors:
    Dewana Cooper Harris
        Brian Hess
            Tremayne Johnston
                Beth Mathews
                    Jaron Sanders
                        Vyone Tisdale
                            Allen Vassalotti
                                Jonnetta Washington

Student Works by FMU Ceramics and 3D Design Classes

As the semester's end nears, students in the various Visual Arts studio classes take part in the selection and installation of representative works created during the semester.  In addition to the experience students gain in the selection and installation process, this allows the students' works to have broader adjudication by the student body at large and by the general public.

The Quilting Way II: Quilts by the Swamp Fox Quilters Guild

The Swamp Fox Quilters Guild was started in 1980. Its purpose is to educate, create, and stimulate interest in maintaining, protecting, collecting and preserving quilts. Also, the group strives to unite members in bonds of friendship through the shared appreciation of quilt making,

The guild, with approximately 50 members, meets the first Thursday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at John Calvin Presbyterian Church, except for July. It has an annual “quilting challenge.” Yearly, it exhibits at The Columns during the Civil War re-enactment, displaying quilts and giving demonstrations. Also, it makes community service quilts for nursing homes, shelters and various civic organizations.