By John Lee
STARKVILLE, Miss. (Take 30 News)--- You only have this rest of this month to see a recent art exhibit at Mississippi State University. It is unlike any show ever seen at MSU, according to Lori Neuenfedlt, gallery director. This unique art show, which opened last month, has multiple pieces of varied artwork that aim to spread hope to the observer. The exhibit is located at the Cullis Wade Depot Art Gallery right next to Barnes and Noble.
The Art of Hope exhibition opened up on January 21st, and will remain open until February 28th. It's a very broad concept compared to previous exhibitions, as the works of art featured here are meant to invoke feelings of, as the name of the exhibition implies, hope, along with feelings of inspiration and motivation to deal with personal struggles such as racism and gender bias. Lori Neuenfedlt, the Director of Galleries at MSU, is overseeing this exhibition and personally connects with a certain piece that’s displayed there.
"There’s a pink plush piece titled Garoban, and it's by an artist named Sam Dorgan, and she describes that this piece responds to the loss of her mother,” Neuenfedlt said. “I relate to this piece a lot because I did lose my mother actually to breast cancer. So it was a great way for me to see how a work of art affects me personally."
This exhibition features works from talented artists from all over the country, and they were selected by professional jurors, who picked the pieces that were the best of the best and really nailed down the feeling of hope that can be seen just by observing the art. One of these jurors, John Sabraw, was present at the exhibition reception held on January 31.
"This was an exhibition where we were trying to see how art intersects with culture, and cultural concerns right now--in a broad spectrum,” Sabraw said. You can't say which artwork in there is the best because you have ceramics, and you have film, and you have performance, and you have drawing, and you have painting…and you have all of these different art forms in there. I think what people are going to remember the most after they see this exhibition is that they're not alone."
Both Neuenfedlt and Sabraw said that the Art of Hope isn't just an exhibition, it stands as a symbol of inspiration for those going through personal struggles, such as racism, gender bias, and more. Observers who come through and look at these pieces of art will leave knowing that they're not alone in this world, and others struggles just as much as they do.
James Bragett, a gallery assistant, feels that each piece can have a different effect on each person.
"I think there's a piece for every situation,” Bragett said. “I don't think there's one particular piece that invokes a particular feeling. I think every person's story is different, and so hopefully whatever their background or whatever their story is, they'll walk away with something and can be hopeful for the future in their lives.
For more information about the gallery and exhibition, you can email Lori Neuenfeldt at www.msuartgalleries.msstate.edu.