Join us for the Senior Art Exhibition for Grace Biltz, Ava Drew, and Thira Schlegel.

The Sarofim School of Fine Arts Gallery at Southwestern University is located in the Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center. The Gallery is open to the public and current Southwestern University Faculty, Staff, and Students from Tuesday - Sunday from 12:00 p.m. – 5 p.m. during the exhibition dates listed below. Admission is always free. 

On Display from March 26 - April 4 | Fine Arts Gallery
Opening Reception on March 28, 2024 at 4:00pm

About Grace Biltz

Grace Biltz, Growth, 84x36, Charcoal, 2023 Grace Biltz, “Growth”, 84”x36”, Charcoal, 2023

In the art exhibition, It’s Not So Black and White, Grace Biltz explores a microscopic lens of minute details found in nature that are all around us, yet overlooked in our modern, fast paced world. By creating drawn and printed renderings of natural flora on a massive scale, Biltz further enhances the dichotomies of micro and macro worlds found in the natural world, as well as challenging the viewer to ponder and seek a deeper meaning beyond the surface. It’s Not So Black and White provides a space for mindfulness, contemplation, and introspection. There are opportunities to rediscover and engage with our intrinsic connection to the natural world, foster a deeper respect and wonder for its beauty and resilience, and expand on understanding our own being within the physical and metaphorical interconnectedness of life and the world around us. 

 

About Ava Drew

Ava Drew, Hellmouth, Oil on Canvas, 16 x 48 in, 2021 Ava Drew, Hellmouth, Oil on Canvas, 16 x 48 in, 2021

In the art exhibition Roadside Remains, Ava Drew explores the dynamic relationship between our urban landscape in Texas and the resilient creatures that inhabit its edges. This exhibition unravels the stories of often misunderstood animals that coexist with us daily, from scavenger vultures to the beloved pets in our homes. Rooted in the artist’s personal experiences growing up in Texas and observing these affected ecosystems closely, Drew depicts the cycle of growth and decay within the animal world, happening right at our doorsteps. Roadside Remains asks viewers to discover the beauty and complexity concealed in overlooked corners of the natural world and invites contemplation on the shared lives and impact we have on these unique creatures.

About Thira Schlegel

Thira Rose Schlegel, Tracks of Wild Basin, 2023, Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 24 Thira Rose Schlegel, Tracks of Wild Basin, 2023, Acrylic on canvas, 12” x 24”

In the exhibition Tread Lightly, Thira Rose Schlegel speaks to climate concerns as seen through her personal perspective as a rural outdoor runner. The places Schlegel explores have experienced change due to urban sprawl, waste, and other environmental issues. The several places recently depicted in her work are trails around Austin, Texas, Lake Travis, Lake Georgetown, and her recent backpacking trek to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. Schlegel utilizes various mediums and materials (such as oil, acrylic, and stone lithography) to depict these spaces. Her creative works of expansive landscapes are imprinted with the actual prints of old running shoes in order to metaphorically symbolize our carbon footprint. These impressions camouflage themselves as texture within environmental elements such as trees, rocks, and clouds to emphasize how humans and their used gear has an impact on the environment that we live in.