SIERRA ARTS FOUNDATION NEWS RELEASE – In continuing cooperation with the University of Nevada, Reno Art Department, Sierra Arts Foundation presents the 2013 Master of Fine Arts candidate Midway Exhibitions. Three MFA candidates will exhibit work developed in this terminal degree program. The exhibitions began on October 15 with sculptor and installation artist Rory Laven, followed by photographer Priscilla B. Varner from now until November 8, and finishing with photographer T Vásquez until November 22. Free receptions sponsored by Wild River Grille will take place on October 18, November 1, and November 15 all from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Students use this professional opportunity to gain experience as exhibiting artists. Faculty members view this exhibition as a marker in helping to determine a candidate’s continued invitation to the Master’s program. This is also an opportunity for the public to see the level of work this professional degree program at our public institution is contributing to the national arts scene. The Sierra Arts Gallery is open from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tuesday though Friday.
For more information about Sierra Arts Foundation visit us on the web at sierra-arts.org or call 775-329-2787.
Rory Laven graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of South Florida with a focus in printmaking. Moving away from the traditional aspects of printmaking, which many consider to be a dying art form, Laven attempts to show that this medium can be viably incorporated into contemporary art. He recycles and makes his own paper on a large scale which brings awareness to environmental issues while using digital and photo based processes in an attempt to show there can be a balance between nature and technology. His prints and handmade paper are often used in sculpture and installation.
Priscilla B. Varner’s work explores the concepts of beauty, identity, and feminism in society. Throughout her life she has had great interest in people and the company they keep as well as the choices they make. She explores these decisions through her work inviting viewers to confront and address societal expectations, individual identities, and stereotypes. This exhibition, “Identity: The Military’s Other Half”, addresses the identities of military spouses. Additionally, she is also working on “Selling Sex,” a project researching the legal and illegal sex industry in Nevada. She recently exhibited “Persuasion,” a solo show at the McNamara Gallery at UNR.
T Vasquez attended Texas Woman’s University and completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2011. She worked for one year and exhibited in the local Dallas area before deciding to attend graduate school. Vásquez knows what she wants and expressing those visually is a personal account of who she is. Passion and steadfastness account for her visual investigation of the world that she finds alluring and complex.
The Sierra Arts Foundation’s mission as a local arts agency is to be the region’s premier arts organization with an emphasis on teaching, nurturing and supporting the arts in our community. Sierra Arts strives to provide education opportunities for artists of all ages, as well as development and training, financial support and promotional and marketing assistance. Sierra Arts creates and manages spaces and venues throughout our community for artists to perform and display their work.
