By Victor Dixon, Editor-in-Chief
This month in Newman’s Steckline Gallery, featured local artist Lauren Fitzgerald will present her “Symbiosis” exhibition, which features pieces made using cut paper and digital illustrations.
The show opened on Wednesday, and a come-and-go reception that’s part of a city-wide First Friday gallery crawl will happen from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday. It’s free to attend.
Fitzgerald works professionally as an artist and has been since beginning her undergraduate education at Friends University 16 years ago. Art is not only her profession but also her passion, she said.
“I feel like creating and making is just something I have to do to be happy,” she said. “I am always making something or working on a project.”
Steckline Gallery, located on the first floor of DeMattias Hall, and the events hosted there each month are the primary methods Newman’s art department uses to connect with the local community and with anyone who is interested in creating or enjoying art. First Friday is an important part of that and it brings in the most visitors each month to the gallery, said Shannon Johnston, an art professor at Newman and the director of the Steckline Gallery.
She said she is always looking to use the space as a way to showcase different artistic methods and mediums, as well as to give a voice to artists who come from historically underrepresented backgrounds.
If you miss First Friday, don’t worry: Fitzgerald’s art will be on display between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. every weekday through February.
But Johnston encourages the Newman community to try to make the Friday reception.
“The artist is in attendance, making it a great opportunity to meet them, ask questions, and learn more about their work,” she said. “It is usually a really fun couple of hours, and we have snacks.”
PHOTO: Courtesy photos, Lauren Fitzgerald
