Collection of Works on Paper from PPHM Collection on View at WT’s Fitz Gallery

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

CANYON, Texas — A collection of works on a universal medium is on view now in a collaborative exhibition in West Texas A&M University’s Dord Fitz Formal Art Gallery.

 “Structure: An Exhibition of Works on Paper from the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum Collection” can be seen through Oct. 24 in the gallery. An opening reception is set for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 3.

The exhibition explores the various ways artists interact with paper, said Deana Craighead, PPHM curator of art.

“Paper is an extraordinarily tactile material made from fiber, whether cotton, wood, linen, etc. and has an inherent structure to it,” Craighead said. “When talking about on works on paper, I feel it is important to consider the properties of the paper itself, in addition to how an artist uses it. For instance, in printmaking the artist creates an image on a plate that is then pressed into paper to create an artwork. In drawing and painting, the artist is making marks directly on the surface of the paper, which affects the line quality.”

Among the artists of note featured in the exhibition are Coreen Mary Spellman, Granville Bruce, Frank Sauerwein, Frank Reaugh, Jerry Bywaters, Otis Dozier, Merritt Mauzey, Janet Turner, Maurice Bernson, Olive Vandruff and Robert Lougheed.

“The PPHM art collection is an amazing teaching resource for the WT Art and Design program, and since the museum is still closed, we continue to make the art collection accessible by kicking off this academic year’s exhibitions with this show,” said Jon Revett, professor of art and head of WT’s Department of Art, Theatre and Dance. “The show highlights the ongoing collaboration between PPHM and the WT Art and Design program."

Fitz Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and by appointment Fridays and Saturdays. Email rweingart@wtamu.edu.

About West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University is a Regional Research University 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 multiple options for students to graduate and succeed: 65 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 41 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and three 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.

—WT—

Photo: Robert Ivan Lockard's "Cotton Compress," a 1936 watercolor on paper, is among the works on view in  “Structure: An Exhibition of Works on Paper from the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum Collection” in the Dord Fitz Formal Art Gallery.