Athens, Ga. – The Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia will present the annual exit show for Master of Fine Arts degree candidates at the Lamar Dodd School of Art from April 9 to May 1 with a free opening reception April 8 at 6 p.m.
This year’s graduates work in a variety of media from printmaking to painting, jewelry, photography and installation and engage a diverse set of themes. They are:
• Michael Benedetti (printmaking).
• Heather Foster (painting/drawing).
• Miranda Maynard (photography).
• Erin Mazzei (photography).
• Courtney McCracken (sculpture).
• Ryan McCullough (printmaking).
• Drema Montgomery (painting/drawing).
• Saegan Moran (printmaking).
• Aaron Obenza (ceramics).
• Michael Ross (painting/drawing).
• Spence Townsend (painting/drawing).
• Vivienne Varay (jewelry/metals).
• Yongxi Wang (photography).
• Lu Yang (interior design).
• Janelle Young (photography).
“The exhibition reveals the rigorousness of the art school’s graduate programs and showcases its strengths in a variety of disciplines, both old and new,” said Isabelle Loring Wallace, associate director of research and graduate studies in the school of art. “It’s an opportunity to reflect on three years of hard work, but also an occasion to look with optimism to the future for this enormously talented cohort of students.”
Sarah Kate Gillespie, the museum’s curator of American art and curator of the exhibition, said, “As a university art museum, we are committed to working with the students and our colleagues at UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art. This annual exhibition is one of the highlights of our calendar, and we look forward to introducing these artists to the greater art community both here in Athens and nationally.”
Related events include “Artful Conversation,” an in-depth conversation about several works in the exhibition with museum educator Brittany Ranew, on April 13 at 2 p.m.; “MFA Speaks,” in which each degree candidate will discuss his or her work, on April 14 at 5:30 p.m.; and 90 Carlton: Spring, the museum’s quarterly reception ($5 or free for members of the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art). All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated.
Museum Information
Partial support for the exhibition and programs at the Georgia Museum of Art is provided by the Georgia Council for the Arts through appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. The council is a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Individuals, foundations and corporations provide additional museum support through their gifts to the University of Georgia Foundation. The Georgia Museum of Art is located in the Performing and Visual Arts Complex on UGA’s East Campus. The address is 90 Carlton St., Athens, Ga., 30602-1502. For more information, including hours, see georgiamuseum.org or call 706-542-4662.