Hardman Hall currently showcasing Faculty Art Exhibit to the public

The faculty of Harman Hall are currently showcasing their artwork to the public from now until Sept. 14.
At the beginning of this school year, the faculty of Hardman Hall opened with an art exhibit to showcase their recent artwork, which is open to the public on the weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until September 14.
The exhibit has been a tradition for many years. Harman Hall gallery has served as the host for the past five years.
The gallery currently showcases a number of works created by faculty that vary from photography, to paintings, to drawings.
Dr. Gary Blackburn, the chair of the Art Department, has three recent pieces of his experimental landscape photography on display in his 25th faculty art show. He teaches photography in the department along with Dr. Craig Coleman. Along with these three pieces, Mr. Sam Hutto contributed three paintings, Ms. Judy Tucker has two paintings, Dr. Craig Coleman added three photographs and Dr. Beth Stewart brought a drawing and a print to the exhibit.
Dr. Beth Stewart, who teaches printmaking and art history, brings to her 26th faculty art show new works from her inspiring research this past summer. Dr. Stewart traveled to Italy for three weeks to do research on the works of Leonardo Da Vinci. Her drawing is entitled “Eighteen Views of Verrocchio’s Putto in Florence, Italy” and her print is titled, “I’m Thinking of You, Leonardo.” The latter was inspired by what she read in Da Vinci’s notebooks.
Ms. Judy Tucker adds her pieces to the faculty art exhibit while taking over some of Mr. Hutto’s classes this semester since he is on leave. Ms. Tucker, who also has her own studio, is teaching painting, watercolor and life drawing this semester as an adjunct professor. She has been an adjunct professor at Mercer since 2000 and has participated in the faculty art show whenever she has taught here. Her works are entitled “Relic,” an acrylic painting on canvas, and “Evolution,” which is
made from the use of soft pastel sticks. Ms. Tucker remarks that the way she paints is inspired by how she played as a child. She uses her memories or the things around her as subjects for her works. “Relic” comes from her memory of her trip to the Ocumulgee Indian Mounds as a child. She remembers the relics she saw at the grave sites in the 1950s. The graves had been dug up and she saw the skeletons, some of which were displayed at the museum there.
On the other hand, “Evolution” was created from the use of rags and acrylic paint during the springtime. She found inspiration from the Poplar leaves and the things around her. She remarks that her ideas originate mostly from when she was young and played in the woods. She uses these memories from her life and the thought of how things evolve over time like nature. Everything evolves and that sentiment can be seen within her work.
The faculty art show gives a great look into the creative abilities and various talents of the professors at Mercer University. They get to share their recent work with the Mercer community and the general public.