Siiri II

Mobile - The University of South Alabama Marx Library is pleased to present a new art exhibit by professional artist, Gretchen Beck. Ms. Beck is a contemporary abstract artist. Her exhibit “Siiri II” will be on display in the Mary Elizabeth and Charles Bernard Rodning Gallery of Art on the third floor of the Library. The exhibit will be on display from May1 - June 30, 2016.

“For the images I produce as an artist,” says Ms. Beck, “I have conducted research in Niger, West Africa, where I lived for three years. My art involves an exploration of the Nigerien landscape, the Djarma and Fulani cultures and the art forms they create. This abstract work portrays ritual and tradition in Nigerien culture”.

“To create my imagery, I work from a variety of references. Relationships among color, shape, and texture come together to form fluid and grid-like compositions. Color dominates the images and dictates the media employed to produce them.” This exhibition is a series of mixed-media collages.

Gretchen Beck served as Professor of Art, Chair of the Art Department, Curator and on the faculty at Concordia University, Irvine, CA, for eleven years. Currently, she is a professional artist.

Recently, she created a series of exhibitions for the following galleries: Gallery 19, Rockport, MA; Brauer Museum of Art, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN; Florence O'Donnell Wasmer Gallery, Ursuline College, Pepper Pike, OH; Lucille Parker Gallery, William Carey University, Hattiesburg, MS; and Montserrat Contemporary Art Gallery, New York, N.Y.

She will have upcoming exhibitions at the following galleries: Reflection Gallery, Finlandia University, Hancock, MI; Mary Elizabeth and Charles Bernard Rodning Gallery of Art, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL; Farnham Gallery, Simpson College, Indianola, IA; Goodall Gallery, Columbia College, Columbia, SC; and Alfred Berkowitz Gallery, University of Michigan, Dearborn, MI.

She exhibits and discusses her work in group and solo exhibitions in galleries, on national and international levels. For further information about her work in the visual arts, please contact her at gretchenjo.beck@gmail.com and you can view her art at www.gretchenbeck.com