Art Exhibition: "Jeff Schmuki: 2020 Frances Niederer Artist-in-Residence"

Jeff Schmuki, M.F.A., New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, is a professor of ceramics in the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art and an affiliate faculty member of Georgia Southern University's Institute for Interdisciplinary STEM Education. Schmuki believes art has the potential to alter perceptions, foster dialogue, and inspire social change. Intrigued by the ubiquitous novelty of the ceramic Chia Pet figurine, he combines ceramic materials, living plants, repurposed commercial products, and sustainable power systems to create artwork. His off-grid garden machines, botanic enhancements, and portable fields often broadcast live sounds and make use of public space in the hope of reconnecting nature to everyday life. Exhibit through April 26. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday from Noon-5 pm, with extended evening hours on Thursday until 8 pm. Established by an anonymous donor in 1997, the endowed Frances Niederer Artist-in-Residence program allows Hollins to bring a nationally recognized artist to campus each academic year. In residence during the spring semester, the visiting artist creates work in a campus studio and teaches an art seminar open to all students.