Mallory Johnston

Reporter

The Mississippi University for Women's Art Department has kicked off a busy gallery season with an exhibit that showcases the work of sculptor Wayne Edge of Memphis.

This exhibit is being held in the Eugenia Summer Gallery and will run through Sept. 30. Edge's pieces combine natural objects, such as shells, wood and even rock, in a rhythmic piece.

Edge's work is only one in a busy fall schedule for the MUW Galleries. "Through the Lens: An Exploration of the Photographic Medium" will be displayed in Gallery B through Sept. 30, and multiple works will be available for purchase during the Art Auction on Oct. 2.

The Art Department will also be offering family activities in a series called, "Sunday Afternoon in the Gallery." Workshops will allow all ages to gain some insight into the process of art, with activities such as printmaking and photography.

Dr. Beverly Joyce has been the gallery director for the department since 2014 and has utilized as much space in the galleries as possible. Now collectively named, "Mississippi University for Women Galleries," these spaces constantly house collections of art in three different areas of the department. She said she thinks a theory, called "threshold fear," is a reason that more people outside the art world do not come into the galleries more often.

"[The Galleries are] tucked away and people think, 'Oh, I'm not supposed to be here, or we don't belong in there,'" Joyce said. "If you're not familiar with it whatever it is, it's just getting through that door. You feel like, 'I don't know what to wear, say, or how to look.' You feel uncomfortable. So when I changed it, you come into the building and see the galleries."

The MUW Art Department has schedules available in the foyer of the Art Building on campus that list all events for the 2015-2016 year. Registration forms for the Sunday Afternoon in the Gallery events are available on the MUW Art Department's website.