McDonough Museum to open summer slate with five dynamic exhibitions

YSU’s McDonough Museum of Art will open its summer schedule with five dynamic exhibitions beginning Friday, May 29, through Saturday, July 18. 

On her work in her current exhibition “RUSTED ROOTS: Exploring Our Connection,” Sharon M. Dundee states that “there is a certain commonality of experience for those, like me, who were raised in the Midwest ‘Rust Belt’ during the 60s, 70s, and 80s. A connection to other people who grew up in similar circumstances, and similar cultural influences. With ‘Rusted Roots,’ I present my visual interpretation of this connection through my art, interspersed with quotes from others who shared these experiences, as wall text to create a unified installation.”

Dundee was born in Cleveland and received her B.F.A. from YSU, where she followed two divergent paths—painting and art history and graphic design and desktop publishing. Specializing in abstract-expressionist analogue collage and mixed media painting, she has exhibited her work nationally and has won numerous awards.

Laura Garvin is currently the illustrator coordinator and social media coordinator for the Pennsylvania: West region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and is a graduate from YSU with a B.F.A. in graphic and interactive design. Her work is inspired by color, books, museums, history, early 2000s nostalgia, her cat, and digital tools that echo traditional media. She has illustrated several children’s books as well as editorial illustrations for Ladybug Magazine and the Pittsburgh City Paper.

Her exhibit, “Sketches & Storyline: An Illustrator’s Creative Process,” provides a glimpse into her creative process. The sketches, color tests, and doodles show the process and exploration she has gone through to develop her art style and final illustrations, exploring how her projects morph and change as they come to fruition.

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, “Stitches in Time” features artwork and artifacts that showcase how the people of the Mahoning Valley have both influenced and reflected on the passage of American history. It is presented as a compliment to a special traveling exhibit titled “Mahoning Valley 250: A Celebration of Change-Makers and Their Communities.” Together, these exhibits celebrate the special part the Mahoning Valley has played in our national history.

Crystal Beiersdorfer is a new media artist and instructor whose work reflects on how bodies and digital spaces blend and clash, focusing on technology’s impact on daily routines, digital embodiment, and virtual identity. She is a 2015 graduate from YSU with a B.F.A. in studio art and a B.A. in mathematics.

In describing her exhibition, Beiersdorfer states “‘#inhale_#exhale’ welcomes you to slow down and engage in the experience, unfolding at the pace of interaction rather than urgency, through the use of color, sound, and temporality. The exhibition is an invitation to pause and be in the present moment rather than rushing through for the sake of spectacle.”

“Moving Forward, Looking Back” is a juried show featuring artwork by members of Random Acts of Artists (RAA). Beginning as a grassroots movement of around a dozen artists in June of 2014, RAA now consists of nearly 100 creative individuals located in Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio, representing the fields of fine arts, theater, music, dance, design, crafts, and more.

Their purpose is to unite, inform, and encourage artists to organize and create projects that help to rejuvenate and bring more color and art into local communities and lives. RAA has hosted over 300 public gatherings, including speakers, workshops, and demonstrations, and has sponsored dozens of juried art exhibitions throughout the area.

Local watercolorist and YSU alum Daniel Rauschenbach will be the juror for the exhibition.

An opening reception for all exhibitions will be held Friday, May 29, from 5:00 – 7:00 PM at the museum. Entry to the reception and exhibits is free and open to the public. The McDonough is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.