In Conversation
The JMU MFA Graduate Faculty shows work in a group exhibition at the Arts Council of the Valley's Smith House Galleries
School of Art Design and Art History
James Madison University
The School of Art, Design, and Art History's graduate faculty came together to show their work and scholarship at the Arts Council of the Valley Smith House Galleries. The exhibition is on view from October 6 through October 27, 2023.
Featuring conceptually layered works by eight artists teaching in the JMU Master of Fine Arts graduate program, In Conversation: The MFA Faculty at JMU includes fiber art, photography, collage, drawing, painting, mixed media, and sculpture. The makers behind the art are Dymph de Wild, Corinne Diop, R. Mertens, Mark Rooker, Martha Saunders, Greg Stewart, Allyson Mellberg Taylor, and Lisa Tubach. The exhibition also features a highlight of the reading table, which showcases publications from the Art History and Art Education graduate faculty who teach in the MFA program. Comfortable chairs are provided to encourage viewers to take time out to read the featured works.
The exhibition opened on Friday, October 6, as part of First Fridays of the Valley. Coordinated by the Arts Council of the Valley, First Fridays gathers community members and businesses on the first Friday evening of every month to support Harrisonburg’s art and cultural district.
The opening welcomed many visitors celebrating the arts in the valley with a musical backdrop provided by the JMU Jazz Combo. Visitors walked through the gallery, enjoyed a reception, and met the artists.
"While a diverse array of media, research areas, and backgrounds are represented by the faculty and graduate students, they are unified by their belief in the importance of art that ensures that they are always: in conversation.”
Corinne Diop
Professor of Art, Graduate Director for Art, Photography Head
JMU’s Master of Fine Art in Studio Art was established in 1980, making it the first terminal degree at JMU. SADAH professor and exhibition organizer Corinne Diop noted that “the current Graduate Faculty is made up of a select group of practicing artists and scholars who challenge and support the MFA candidates in their intellectual, philosophical, and artistic development. While a diverse array of media, research areas, and backgrounds are represented by the faculty and graduate students, they are unified by their belief in the importance of art that ensures that they are always: in conversation.”
The JMU School of Art, Design, and Art History is one of the most notable and time-honored public university visual art programs in the United States, dating its foundation to the creation of the institution in 1908.
The SADAH graduate program offers two degrees, including the Master of Fine Arts in Art and Master of Arts in Art Education.
The distinguished graduate faculty of practicing artists and scholars is dedicated to exemplary teaching and research and to the professional growth of each student. Graduate students are challenged through a rigorous curriculum of study that seeks to develop their personal practice of contemporary art and the historical and theoretical contexts that inform it.
To learn more about JMU’s Master of Fine Arts program and its latest achievements, visit www.jmu.edu/sadah/programs/graduate/index.shtml or follow SADAH on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to cultivating the arts, creating experiences, and connecting communities throughout the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Since it was established in 2000, ACV has grown into a multi-faceted community organization that fosters innovative partnerships among area businesses, civic organizations, schools, and artists. To learn more about ACV, visit www.valleyarts.org/.
All information was sourced from the Arts Council of the Valley's press release.
Images courtesy of Corinne Diop, 2023.