Through May 7th: Senior Exhibition to Feature Portfolios of Graduating Art Majors at Coker College

Coker College’s Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery presents 

the senior exhibitions of Ashley Gillespie, Katherine Busby, and Matthew Hicks 

beginning Apr. 7 and running through May 7.  

The senior exhibitions will open with Gillespie’s exhibition of photographs Apr. 7, followed by Busby’s exhibition of design work Apr. 21 and Hick’s exhibition of oil paintings Apr. 28. All receptions are from 7 to 8 p.m. on opening nights and are free and open to the public. Each senior will host her or his reception and light refreshments will be served. 

Gillespie, from Gaston, S.C., is interested in installation, performance art and photography. For her show she chose to concentrate on photography and produced a series of large-scale photographs. Although Gillespie is the subject in the majority of these photographs, she does not consider them self-portraits. Rather, she sees herself as a model or actor in a staged scenario. In this regard, her use of lighting, color, space, gesture and expression are intended to evoke emotional states common to all humans. Her show will close on Apr. 18.

Busby, from Sterling, Mass., will show a series of designs displayed as posters. She said, “many of these designs are personal explorations of her phobias.” Her method of design, for the phobia series, is one that is commonly referred to as information graphics. This method of visualization uses graphic elements to present data in visually compelling formats intended to allow a quick and engaging grasp of data driven concepts. Busby’s show closes Apr. 25. 

Hicks, from Turbeville, S.C., will exhibit oil paintings. Hick’s artwork is inspired by a close connection to his grandfather. He will show a series of highly textured oil paintings in which he combines depictions of objects and spaces he associates with memories of his grandfather’s farm. Matthew considers this series “a tribute to his grandfather and the agrarian way of life.” Matthew’s show closes on May 7. 

Every spring, the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery completes the exhibition calendar with senior shows.  This final show has been a requirement since the art program was established as a major in the late 1950s. While the seniors may choose to focus on one medium for their shows, they are expected to draw on four years of studio work in a variety of media and art history. These shows also reflect their intellectual engagement with the broad range of subjects that are part of their liberal arts education. 

The Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery is located in the Gladys C. Fort Art Building, on the Coker College campus, in Hartsville, S.C. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, while classes are in session.

For more information about the gallery, visit ceceliacokerbellgallery.com or contact Larry Merriman at 843-383-8156 or artgallery@coker.edu.

Release written by Larry Merriman, the director of the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery and assistant professor of art.

Coker College upholds and defends the intellectual and artistic freedom of its faculty and students as they study and create art through which they explore the full spectrum of human experience. The college considers such pursuits central to the spirit of inquiry and thoughtful discussion, which are at the heart of a liberal arts education.

November 18th: Coker College's Bell Gallery to host the 41st Annual Student Art Competition

The Coker College Art Club’s annual student exhibition begins with a reception at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18. Merit awards and prizes will be presented at the opening, and light refreshments will be served. The reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.

The 41st Annual Student Competition will exhibit a selection of the best student work from the past year. The exhibition is open for viewing through Nov. 26.

Coker’s annual student exhibition is designed as a competition and includes entries from beginning through advanced students. This year, the judge will be John Rise, a professional artist whose paintings are currently on exhibit in the Cecilia Coker Bell Gallery.

Rise will select the pieces to exhibit, assign places and award prizes that have been donated by art manufacturers and suppliers. Judges for these shows are given free reign regarding a show’s size and focus, and the resulting shows have ranged from large and inclusive to small, theme-oriented exhibitions. As with all independent judges, Rise’s choices may support the opinions of faculty and peers, but his choices may also run counter to some of those opinions. In either case, this selection process has always served as a stimulus for critical discussion.

Rise received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drawing from Arizona State University as well as a Master of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of New Mexico. While pursuing his master’s degrees, Rise taught drawing and painting classes at the University of New Mexico, first as a graduate assistant and later as an adjunct professor.

Since 2005, Rise has taught drawing at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where he was awarded the 2010-11 Vulcan Materials Company Teaching Excellence Award for his outstanding contributions to undergraduate education, student learning and campus life.

The Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery is located in the Gladys C. Fort Art Building on the Coker College campus. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, while classes are in session. It is located in the Gladys C. Fort Art Building.

For more information about the gallery, contact gallery director and assistant professor of art Larry Merriman at 843-383-8156, lmerriman@coker.edu or visit http://www.ceceliacokerbellgallery.com/.

Coker College upholds and defends the intellectual and artistic freedom of its faculty and students as they study and create art through which they explore the full spectrum of human experience. The college considers such pursuits central to the spirit of inquiry and thoughtful discussion, which are at the heart of a liberal arts education.

November 18th to November 26th: The 41st Annual Student Art Exhibit at Coker College

The 41st Annual Student Competition will be on display from November 18 to November 26. This popular annual competition selects the best work of current Coker art students and typically consists of drawing, painting, design, photogarphy, sculpture, ceramics, and mixed media. An opening reception will be held Monday, November 18 from 7-8pm.

The Gallery is located in the Gladys C. Fort Art Building on the Coker College campus.

Gallery hours are from 10am-4pm, Monday through Friday, while classes are in session.

For more information please visit www.ceceliacokerbellgallery.com. You can also contact Larry Merriman at 843.383.8156 or ccbg@coker.edu.

The Artwork of John Rise to be featured in Coker College's Bell Gallery

The Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery presents John Rise, a painter and draftsman based in Savannah, Ga., for the gallery’s third show of the season.

Rise’s exhibit of paintings and drawings opens Oct. 21, with a reception and a presentation by the artist in the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery from 7 to 8 p.m. Light refreshments will be served, and the reception is free and open to the public. The show is on view through Nov. 15.

Many in the art world know Rise as the inventor of a stretcher bar system for painter’s canvases. Students at Savannah College of Art and Design appreciate him as an award-winning teacher of drawing. Others know him as a painter and draftsman who values, in equal measure, finely honed artistic skills and intellectual depth.

Painting from direct observation, Rise typically offers complex compositions filled with a variety of discarded and repurposed objects. They include both the odd and the familiar; some are symbolic while others are mundane; some are valuable while others are valueless.

“My work intends to call forward and question associations and relationships, both formal and literal, traditional and contemporary, universal and personal,” Rise said.

Rise, who will also be judging the Coker College art club’s annual competition, received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in drawing from Arizona State University, and his Master of Fine Arts from the University of New Mexico. He started Best Artists Products, a company that designs, manufactures and distributes canvas stretcher bar systems, wood screenprint frames and hardwood artist easels. He sold the company in 1995.

Rise has taught drawing and painting classes at the University of New Mexico and, since 2005, has taught drawing at Savannah College of Art and Design where he was awarded the 2010-11 Vulcan Materials Company Teaching Excellence Award for his outstanding contributions to undergraduate education, student learning and campus life.

The Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery is located in the Gladys C. Fort Art Building on the Coker College campus. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, while classes are in session.

For more information about the gallery, contact gallery director and assistant professor of art Larry Merriman at 843-383-8156, lmerriman@coker.edu or visit http://www.ceceliacokerbellgallery.com/.

Coker College upholds and defends the intellectual and artistic freedom of its faculty and students as they study and create art through which they explore the full spectrum of human experience. The college considers such pursuits central to the spirit of inquiry and thoughtful discussion, which are at the heart of a liberal arts education.

September 23rd: Opening of John Chang's Mixed Media Exhibit at Coker College

Coker College’s second art show of the fall season begins Sept. 23 with a reception for California artist John Chang’s mixed media paintings.

The reception is from 7 to 8 p.m. in Coker’s Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery. Light refreshments will be served, and the reception is free and open to the public. Chang’s paintings will be on view through Friday, Oct. 18.

Chang’s calligraphic paintings combine the influence of America’s abstract expressionist painters with the sacred nature of classical Chinese calligraphy.

“Chinese students are conditioned to submit to authority, in part, through the rigorous requirement of learning to memorize and write several thousand characters flawlessly,” Chang said.

At the same time, students were bombarded with those same characters in the form of propaganda which, during Chang’s youth, were plastered to walls in China’s public squares.

“In classical Chinese, the script or shu, is so sacred that it is believed to be capable of affecting change in the natural order of things,” Chang added.

Chang found inspiration for his use of energetic marks and collage in the paintings, collages and prints of western abstract expressionists Franz Kline and Jackson Pollock and pop artist Robert Rauschenberg.

Born and raised in Shanghai, China, Chang is based in Southern California. Chang’s works have been exhibited at the Alexander Brest Museum at Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, Fla.; Julina Togonon Fine Art, San Francisco, Calif.; Fresh Paint Art Gallery, Culver City, Calif.; and S Cube Gallery, Laguna Beach, Calif. Chang holds a Master of Fine Arts in visual art from The Art Institute of Boston and a Bachelor of Arts in decorative arts and design from Shanghai Light Industry College. He also studied with well-known Chinese artist Xu Bing.

The Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery is located in the Gladys C. Fort Art Building on the Coker College campus. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, while classes are in session.

For more information about the gallery, contact Larry Merriman at 843-383-8156 or artgallery@coker.edu or visitwww.ceceliacokerbellgallery.com.

Coker College upholds and defends the intellectual and artistic freedom of its faculty and students as they study and create art through which they explore the full spectrum of human experience. The college considers such pursuits central to the spirit of inquiry and thoughtful discussion, which are at the heart of a liberal arts education.

Through September 20th: JinMan Jo at Coker College

The Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery begins its 2013-2014 season with an exhibition of sculpture by South Korean artist JinMan Jo.  The exhibit will be on display through September 20th. 

On a personal level, JinMan Jo finds society’s increasing focus on electronic media and consumerism disturbing. As relationships between people become electronically diluted, and consumer goods evermore short lived, he looks for symbols of strength in his sculpture. He works primarily in durable materials like stone, steel and wood. He welds, wires and cements these materials in ways that visually reinforce their durability. His sculptures appear ready to resist any assault and offer counter balance to the ephemeral aspects of contemporary civilization.

“Thick steel bends during forging and hammering, thin wires are welded together and weak things overlap and connect with each other to become strong,” said JinMan Jo. “Each element makes an undeniable contribution to the whole. I want these substances to individually represent the required strength that is needed to withstand greater forces of nature.”

JinMan Jo’s work has been exhibited in solo shows in the United States and Korea as well as numerous group exhibitions. His work is included in the collections of the Gail Art Museum in GaPyon, Korea; the Seosan Art Center, Seosan, Korea; the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea; the Summit Street Gallery, Iowa City, Iowa, and the Utah State University College of Business in Logan, Utah. He has been honored twice with the Outstanding Achievement Award in Contemporary Sculpture by the International Sculpture Center. He currently teaches at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point.

Originally from South Korea, JinMan Jo received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture from the University of Seoul in Seoul, Korea, in 1999. He earned a Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts from the University of Iowa in 2002 and 2003.

The Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery is located in the Gladys C. Fort Art Building on the Coker College campus. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, while classes are in session.

For more information about the gallery, contact gallery director and assistant professor of art Larry Merriman at 843-383-8156 or artgallery@coker.edu or visit http://www.ceceliacokerbellgallery.com/.

Coker College upholds and defends the intellectual and artistic freedom of its faculty and students as they study and create art through which they explore the full spectrum of human experience. The college considers such pursuits central to the spirit of inquiry and thoughtful discussion, which are at the heart of a liberal arts education.

Image: “Exclamation I”

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Coker College readies undergraduates for personal and professional success through a distinctive four-year program that emphasizes a practical application of the liberal arts as well as hands-on and discussion-based learning within and beyond the classroom. Coker is ranked among the “Best Colleges” in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review. Located in Hartsville, S.C., Coker is within two hours of the cultural, financial and recreational resources of Charlotte, Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach.

April 22nd - April 26th: Megan Harris' Senior Art Exhibit at Coker College

The Coker College spring senior art shows continue with the opening of an exhibition of photographic works by Megan Harris at 7 p.m. April 22 in Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery.

Originally a psychology major, Harris, who grew up in Florence, S.C., discovered her passion for photography soon after joining the Coker community. She serves as an Art Department mentor, assisting students in navigating the challenges of the major to ensure that they succeed in the program. Earlier this semester, Harris was awarded Departmental Honors in Art for her leadership role in the program. After graduation, she plans to build her own darkroom and continue working as a fine art photographer.

“Cause and effect are huge factors in my work,” said Harris. “The figures in my photos reflect upon my life experiences, dreams and academic studies.” Commenting on her choice of film over digital photography, she said, “I fell in love with film photography because it allows me to participate in every aspect of creating a photograph.”

Senior exhibitions are required of graduating art majors and are intended to represent the culmination of four years of study while offering a glimpse of the directions the artists may explore with their work following graduation. Each exhibition opens with a public reception that gives the student artists and opportunity to discuss their works with gallery visitors.

The this year’s series of senior art shows will conclude with an exhibition by Hartsville native Katelyn Hill, whose opening reception will begin at 7 p.m. April 29.

The Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery is located in the Gladys C. Fort Art Building, on the Coker College campus, in Hartsville.Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, while classes are in session. For more information, contact gallery director and assistant professor of art Larry Merriman at 843-383-8156 or lmerriman@coker.edu. For more information about the gallery, visit http://www.ceceliacokerbellgallery.com/.

Coker College upholds and defends the intellectual and artistic freedom of its faculty and students as they study and create art through which they explore the full spectrum of human experience. The college considers such pursuits central to the spirit of inquiry and thoughtful discussion, which are at the heart of a liberal arts education.

Through May 3rd: Senior Art Exhibits at Coker College

The Coker College spring art exhibition in the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery will feature three shows in April and May – one per week from April 15 through May 3 – with an opening reception from 7 to 8 p.m. each Monday evening.

Senior exhibitions are required of graduating art majors and are intended to represent the culmination of four years of study while offering a glimpse of the directions the artists may explore with their work following graduation.

Caitlin Johnson leads off the senior exhibits with an opening on April 15. Originally from Sacramento, Calif., Johnson grew up in Spartanburg, S.C. She came to Coker in 2009 as a fine art major and has chosen painting as her area of concentration. After graduation, she plans to find a job that will allow her to continue painting.

“Gender, identity and the separation of biological and social dogmas are the meat of my work,” said Johnson. “Through paint, I explore and create my own vision of androgyny: my own construction of gender that the outside world does not allow. I use the symbolism and body language of Catholic imagery as a voice and catalyst for my painting.”

Megan Harris opens her show on April 22. Harris was born and raised in Florence, S.C. She came to Coker in 2009 as a psychology major but soon switched to photography because “it felt so right to take photos,” she explained. Harris also serves as a department mentor, assisting students in navigating the challenges of the major to ensure that they succeed in the program. She was recently awarded Departmental Honors in Art for her leadership role. After graduation, Harris plans to build her own darkroom and continue working as a fine art photographer.

“Cause and effect are huge factors in my work,” said Harris. “The figures in my photos reflect upon my life experiences, dreams and academic studies.” Commenting on her choice of film over digital photography, she said, “I fell in love with film photography because it allows me to participate in every aspect of creating a photograph.”

Katelyn Hill’s show finishes the exhibition season and opens April 29.  Hill, a native of Hartsville, whose mother also went to Coker, said she “knew at a young age she wanted to attend Coker College.” For her, the question was not where, but what?

“After two years of exploration and a one-year hiatus, I knew art with a concentration in graphic design was the answer to that question,” said Hill.

Offering a sense of the rigorous nature of Coker’s art program, Hill said, “I have stepped out of my zone of comfort. Through the exploration of difficult issues, I have grown as a person and an artist. My eyes have been opened and my knowledge increased.”

The receptions for each show are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

The Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery is located in the Gladys C. Fort Art Building, on the Coker College campus, in Hartsville. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, while classes are in session. For more information, contact gallery director and assistant professor of art Larry Merriman at 843-383-8156 or lmerriman@coker.edu. For more information about the gallery, visit http://www.ceceliacokerbellgallery.com/.

Coker College upholds and defends the intellectual and artistic freedom of its faculty and students as they study and create art through which they explore the full spectrum of human experience. The college considers such pursuits central to the spirit of inquiry and thoughtful discussion, which are at the heart of a liberal arts education.

Through April 5th: Agnieszka Sosnowska's 'Realities' at Coker College

Don't miss Agnieszka Sosnowska’s “Realities” at the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery on the beautiful campus of Coker College through April 5th:

“Although self-portraits dominate in Ms. Sosnowska’s photography exhibit, her interactions with nature seem to be her primary subject matter,” said gallery director and assistant professor of art Larry Merriman. “For each photograph she adopts a persona that is by turns serious and whimsical.

“She is nature personified as she judges a harvest of apples in one image or mourns the death of a whale in a second. In a third portrait, she balances on a low tree limb, with the corners of her dress pointing up, like a wood sprite, while in another whimsy inspired portrait, she crouches on the forest floor dressed in a costume of giant leaves. Additional images suggest more somber thoughts, as she stands in a barren landscape wrapped in a grass-like blanket or naps in the snowy patches of winter’s brown grass. Her photographs are certainly self-portraits, but these are portraits that reveal Ms. Sosnowska’s perceptive understanding of human nature and our relationship to the natural world,” Merriman added.

“The effects of a cross-culture life inspire the characters that I create,” said Sosnowska. “Here in Iceland—a culture embedded by ancient sagas, and myths of elves that live inside rocks—there speaks many voices that come to life. My adult experiences have informed my sensibility to expose the hidden world of the stories my mind nurtures. As a woman, I interpret these cultural stories in a primal and sensual way. To embody what is sometimes ordinary, sometimes purely feminine and sometimes supernatural is to seek a way to take these private images in my mind public.”

Sosnowska was born in Warsaw, Poland, and raised in Boston. Sosnowska received her bachelor's degree in fine arts from Massachusetts College of Art in photography and her master’s degree in fine arts from Boston University in studio teaching. Sosnowska has received the Annie E. Blake and the Skriouklaustur awards as well as a variety of fellowships and grants, which have enabled her to travel to Poland and Iceland to continue her development as a photographer. Sosnowska’s artworks have been exhibited internationally. She resides in East Iceland with her husband Runar.

The reception for Sosnowska’s exhibit is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. The exhibition will continue through April 5. The gallery will be closed March 11-15 for spring break.

The Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery is located in the Gladys C. Fort Art Building on the Coker College campus. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, while classes are in session. For more information, contact gallery director and assistant professor of art Larry Merriman at 843-383-8156 or lmerriman@coker.edu.

Coker College upholds and defends the intellectual and artistic freedom of its faculty and students as they study and create art through which they explore the full spectrum of human experience. The college considers such pursuits central to the spirit of inquiry and thoughtful discussion, which are at the heart of a liberal arts education.

March 4th: Opening of 'Realities' at Coker College's Bell Gallery

An art exhibition of Agnieszka Sosnowska’s “Realities” will open with a reception from 7 to 8 p.m.  Monday, March 4 in the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery.

During the reception, Sosnowska, who will be in Iceland, will present a gallery talk using Skype.

“Although self-portraits dominate in Ms. Sosnowska’s photography exhibit, her interactions with nature seem to be her primary subject matter,” said gallery director and assistant professor of art Larry Merriman. “For each photograph she adopts a persona that is by turns serious and whimsical.

“She is nature personified as she judges a harvest of apples in one image or mourns the death of a whale in a second. In a third portrait, she balances on a low tree limb, with the corners of her dress pointing up, like a wood sprite, while in another whimsy inspired portrait, she crouches on the forest floor dressed in a costume of giant leaves. Additional images suggest more somber thoughts, as she stands in a barren landscape wrapped in a grass-like blanket or naps in the snowy patches of winter’s brown grass. Her photographs are certainly self-portraits, but these are portraits that reveal Ms. Sosnowska’s perceptive understanding of human nature and our relationship to the natural world,” Merriman added.

“The effects of a cross-culture life inspire the characters that I create,” said Sosnowska. “Here in Iceland—a culture embedded by ancient sagas, and myths of elves that live inside rocks—there speaks many voices that come to life. My adult experiences have informed my sensibility to expose the hidden world of the stories my mind nurtures. As a woman, I interpret these cultural stories in a primal and sensual way. To embody what is sometimes ordinary, sometimes purely feminine and sometimes supernatural is to seek a way to take these private images in my mind public.”

Sosnowska was born in Warsaw, Poland, and raised in Boston. Sosnowska received her bachelor's degree in fine arts from Massachusetts College of Art in photography and her master’s degree in fine arts from Boston University in studio teaching. Sosnowska has received the Annie E. Blake and the Skriouklaustur awards as well as a variety of fellowships and grants, which have enabled her to travel to Poland and Iceland to continue her development as a photographer. Sosnowska’s artworks have been exhibited internationally. She resides in East Iceland with her husband Runar.

The reception for Sosnowska’s exhibit is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. The exhibition will continue through April 5. The gallery will be closed March 11-15 for spring break.

The Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery is located in the Gladys C. Fort Art Building on the Coker College campus. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, while classes are in session. For more information, contact gallery director and assistant professor of art Larry Merriman at 843-383-8156 or lmerriman@coker.edu.

Coker College upholds and defends the intellectual and artistic freedom of its faculty and students as they study and create art through which they explore the full spectrum of human experience. The college considers such pursuits central to the spirit of inquiry and thoughtful discussion, which are at the heart of a liberal arts education.

Through February 1st at Coker College: 40th Annual Faculty Show

Coker College's 40th Annual Faculty Show opens on January 17 with a reception from 7pm to 8pm. The exhibit will run until February 1.

Coker College has an on-campus gallery located in the Fort Art Building, adjacent to the Wiggins Student Center at 300 East College Avenue in downtown Hartsville.

Artist presentations, receptions, and exhibitions are free & the public is invited to attend. Gallery hours are from 10am-4pm, Monday through Friday while classes are in session or by appointment.

January 17th: Opening Reception of the 40th Annual Faculty Show at Coker College

Coker College's 40th Annual Faculty Show opens on January 17 with a reception from 7pm to 8pm. The exhibit will run until February 1.

Coker College has an on-campus gallery located in the Fort Art Building, adjacent to the Wiggins Student Center at 300 East College Avenue in downtown Hartsville.

Artist presentations, receptions, and exhibitions are free & the public is invited to attend. Gallery hours are from 10am-4pm, Monday through Friday while classes are in session or by appointment.

Digital Prints by Jeff Murphy to kick off the 2012-13 Season at Coker's Bell Gallery

The Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery opens its 2012-13 season with an exhibition of digital prints by Jeff Murphy on Monday, Aug. 27.

Murphy will be present for the opening reception to talk about his work and answer questions.  The reception, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7 p.m.  Refreshments will be served.  The show will continue through Sept. 21.

“Raised in a Catholic family, I was indoctrinated within an intense religious belief system, beliefs that I shared with my parents until college. However, after I was exposed to a larger picture of the world, my faith began to crumble,” said Murphy.  “Ultimately,” he concluded, “my works represent a search for spiritual truth, a quest for an epiphany.”

Jeff Murphy’s work typically begins with his own photographs, which he layers and manipulates, digitally, to create new images. Over the years, he has printed his images on a variety of materials that include large-scale transparencies mounted on light boxes, paper, canvas, and more recently, panoramas printed with pigmented inks on poplin.

Murphy often uses images that present landscape and structures in relation to religious iconography.  Some of his pieces invoke the idea of the sublime as a spiritual signifier. Visual references from Islam and Christianity serve as important metaphors for the conjoined nature of religious experience.

Murphy has developed interactive projects for CDs and the Web and has participated in a number of curated online exhibits including @art through the University of Illinois and Digitally Born through the Alternative Museum in New York.  He has also presented his works in traditional gallery and museum settings with solo exhibitions at The Mint Museum of Art, The University of Notre Dame and The University of Colorado. His work has been published in a diverse array of print publications including WIRED Magazine, World Art Magazine and the textbook Exploring Color Photography. He has received individual artist grants from the Arts and Science Council, the Ohio Arts Council and the North Carolina Arts Council.

An associate professor of art at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Murphy teaches digital imaging, interactive design, photography, video and animation. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Ohio State University and his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Florida.

The Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery is located in the Gladys C. Fort Art Building on the Coker College campus. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, while classes are in session.

For more information about the gallery, contact Gallery Director and Assistant Professor of Art Larry Merriman at 843-383-8156 or lmerriman@coker.edu or visit http://cokerartgallery.wix.com/ccgb.

Coker College upholds and defends the intellectual and artistic freedom of its faculty and students as they study and create art through which they explore the full spectrum of human experience. The college considers such pursuits central to the spirit of inquiry and thoughtful discussion, which are at the heart of a liberal arts education.

Photo:  “Ripple,” digitally manipulated images, pigment inks on poplin cloth, 14 x 42 x 2 inches, 2010, by Jeff Murphy.

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Coker College readies undergraduates for personal and professional success through a distinctive four-year program that emphasizes a practical application of the liberal arts as well as hands-on and discussion-based learning within and beyond the classroom. Coker is ranked among the “Best Colleges” in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review. Located in Hartsville, S.C., Coker is within two hours of the cultural, financial and recreational resources of Charlotte, Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach.