An exhibit of figurative oil paintings and charcoal drawings by Melanie Lowrance will open Monday, Oct. 13, at the Campanella Gallery on Park University's Parkville Campus. About a dozen pieces will be on display through Friday, Nov. 21. A reception for the artist will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24. Admission to the gallery is free.
The body of work presented can be divided into two categories: the multiple figure compositions and the individual portraits.
"All of the work reflects my interest in depicting invented psychological narratives derived from personal observations and experiences," Lowrance says in her artist's statement for the show.
Lowrance uses "characters" in her multiple figure drawings to depict instances of intimacy and awkwardness between women. The drawings, she says, are stripped of a recognizable setting or background and rely on the figures and the space in between to communicate the nature of their relationships.
"While the exact narratives are intentionally ambiguous, the interactions between the characters are derived from Renaissance 'Visitation' paintings," she says.
Lowrance has a bachelor's degree in fine art from Missouri State University and a master's degree in fine art from Indiana University. She currently teaches art at the University of Central Missouri.
The Campanella Gallery is located in the McAfee Memorial Library in Park's underground Mabee Learning Center, which can be entered through Millsap Foyer. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Donna Bachmann, director of the Campanella Gallery, at (816) 584-6457 or donna.bachmann@park.edu.
