Sights and Sounds of the Mother Road Drives WT Student Art Exhibition

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — A student art exhibition inspired by eclectic signs along Route 66 will open May 7 at West Texas A&M University.

“No Good with Words” by Kara Speedy, a senior art major from Amarillo, will be on view through May 23 in the Dord Fitz Formal Art Gallery in Mary Moody Northen Hall on WT’s Canyon campus. An opening reception will be held at 5 p.m. May 7 in the gallery.

“Living along Route 66, I am influenced by the old graphic signs that are scattered alongside the roads,” Speedy said. “The visual play of signage and the odd shapes they sometimes take is the basis for my inspiration. Painting words sparked an interest in the interaction of forms and colors.”

Speedy’s experience with several public art projects in Amarillo—including Blank Spaces Murals and Hoodoo Mural Festival—informs her work.

“I love my city and I love being a part of making it a more creative and art-friendly space,” Speedy said.

Jon Revett, head of WT’s Department of Art, Theatre and Dance in the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities, called Speedy’s an interesting and unexpected combination of shapes and sound effects.

“She has taken fragments of speech and noise and turned them into works of art in both paintings and prints, causing us to reconsider these often-overlooked moments,” Revett said.

Fitz Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, by appointment Fridays and Saturdays, and by appointment following May 15 and 16 spring commencement ceremonies. Email rweingart@wtamu.edu.

Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign, which is now winding down, has raised more than $175 million.

About West Texas A&M University

A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M University is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: “Crack” by Kara Speedy will featured in Speedy’s “No Good with Words” exhibition, on view May 7 to 23 in the Dord Fitz Formal Art Gallery in Mary Moody Northen Hall at West Texas A&M University.

—WT—