‘Surface and Form’ exhibit set for Feb. 4 opening

Kate Fechter

Three regional artists will have works on display at the Mulvane Art Museum on campus in the upcoming “Surface and Form” exhibit. The exhibit will feature ceramic pieces by Cathy Broski and Danny Meisinger, as well as fiber art by David Brackett.

“The three of them really come at clay and fiber from a very unusual perspective,” said Cindy Morrison, director of the Mulvane Art Museum. “It is three very different and unique perspectives.”

David Brackett is a fiber-works artist and is also a professor of fibers in the art department at the University of Kansas. He has had his work shown all over America and internationally, in Japan, as well.

“His weavings are almost like mathematical or musical scores,” said Morrison. “I really enjoy the way he makes his fiber pieces look like they are almost landscapes, almost drawings, but he does them with fiber.”

Danny Meisinger is a ceramist from Spring Hill, Kan., and runs a business called Spinning Earth Pottery. Michael Hager, exhibit preparator at the Mulvane, describes Meisinger’s pieces as very traditional, decorative forms on a much larger scale.

“He is more about scale,” said Hager. “His whole idea is about the size. The pieces are beautiful to look at.”

Meisinger has one piece that is stoneware and is 29″ x 22″. Morrison describes his work as “beautifully decorated, sensuous forms that are almost human size.”

Cathy Broski is a ceramist from Kansas City, Mo., and creates thrown and hand-built pieces. She was one of the artists featured at the recent Artful Dining events and the Mulvane has added one of her pieces to its permanent collection.

“She deals in narrative symbols,” said Hager. “It is lots of figure-like work that is paired up with boat forms and dog forms. The work is great; very textural, very narrative.”

Hager explained that texture and lighting is going to be a huge part of the concept behind the show. The three artists are very different in the pieces they create but all have lots of texture in their art.

The Surface and Form exhibit will have an Opening Reception for it and three other exhibits on Friday, Feb. 4, from 5-8 p.m.. The other exhibits are: “Remember My Name”, a Beatles memorabilia exhibit from a private collection; “Words with Different Scenes,” with works from four Chinese artists; and “David Hicks Overmyer: A Kansas Original”, part of the Kansas Sesquicentennial events with selected works by Overmyer.

The Mulvane Art Museum is open: Tuesday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday thru Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and during the weekend from 1-4 p.m. Admission is free. For more information on the Mulvane visit them on Facebook or on the Website www.washburn.edu/mulvane.