FAYETTE, Iowa (September 22, 2008) - Bing-Davis Memorial Art Gallery, Edgar Fine Arts Hall, on the Upper Iowa University Fayette campus Oct. 3 - Nov. 5
Artists at Work features the work of three Upper Iowa Art Department graduates, all of whom enjoy rewarding careers in the visual arts. The exhibit will open Friday, October 3, 8:00am through 5:00pm. A reception with the artists will be held Saturday October 4, 11am -2pm. An all art and design reunion will also be held at this time.
"Through contact with recent graduates and those of the past few decades, we have found that graduates of Upper Iowa's Art Department, whether art 
teachers, graphic designers or graduate students, are able to have productive careers in the visuals arts in Northeast Iowa, throughout the country, and in some cases overseas as well," said John Siblik, associate professor of art and gallery director.
The alumni artists in Artists at Work include Doug Davis, Cynthia Fox, and Barb Prall.
Davis ('85) resides in Hawkeye and earned his bachelor's in Fine Arts at Upper Iowa. He is an award-winning commercial artist who specializes in wildlife paintings. 
Fox ('75) grew up in rural Fayette County and holds a degree in Art Education, with a minor in Theatre from UIU. She is head of the art department at the Oelwein School District, and also teaches middle school art and directs theatre there. Her work consists of watercolor, pastel and drawings that focus on rural subjects.
Prall ('75) also holds a bachelor's in Art Education from Upper Iowa and is working on her master's at the University of Iowa. Also an award-winning artist, Prall owns a studio in Marion called Barb's Fine Art, where she specializes in commissioned portraits and landscapes. Prall was commissioned to do a portrait of Christie Vilsack, wife of the former Iowa governor.
"The aspect of the exhibit that I most admire, alongside these artists working in careers they truly enjoy, is a devotion to the painting process that is so apparent when looking at their work; each very different but with the shared love of painting as an important current that I think will resonate with viewers," Siblik said.
For more information about Upper Iowa University's second annual Alumni Art Show, contact John Siblik, assistant professor of art, at 563-425-5241 or e-mail siblikj@uiu.edu. A reception for all UIU Art and Design alumni will be held Sat., Oct. 4 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in the gallery.
The Lois Bing-Davis Gallery is free and open to the public from 8 a.m.--5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Contact:
Sheila Miller
Director of Public Relations
Work - 563-425-5326
Cell - 319-610-7108
Fax - 563-425-5701
millers@uiu.edu
www.uiu.edu
