Upper Iowa University hosts Belize @ 31 art show
Elissa Wenthe, assistant professor of art and director of the Bing-Davis Memorial Gallery at Upper Iowa University, delicately arranges a painting featured in the "Belize @ 31" art show, which is being featured on the Fayette campus until
October 5.
FAYETTE, Iowa (August 24, 2012) – Upper Iowa University is hosting an art exhibit featuring the work of more than two dozen artists from Belize. Belize @ 31 opened recently and will be featured at the Bing-Davis Memorial Gallery in Edgar Fine Arts Hall on the Fayette campus. The show is curated by Yasser Musa, director of the Image Factory Art Foundation in Belize City and a teacher at the Belize Art Center.
"The art department is very excited to be hosting works of art from Belize," said Elissa Wenthe, UIU assistant professor of art and director of the Bing-Davis Memorial Gallery, "We are always striving to bring different experiences to the students and the Upper Iowa community. It is important that we foster a respect and understanding of the art process and concepts from different cultures."
Belize @ 31 is a celebration of 30 years (+ 1) of independence for the small Central American country of Belize. The exhibit further serves as an affirmation of Upper Iowa University's commitment to global learning and the relationships that are fostered as a result, according to Associate Professor of Art John Siblik, who initially met Belize @ 31 curator, Yasser Musa, while on the inaugural Faculty Internationalization Group (FIG) travel grant program to Belize. The FIG program, spearheaded by Eric Eller, associate professor of international business, and Wenthe, has been an important element towards fostering a community of global learning at Upper Iowa University.
Belize @ 31 is a survey of contemporary Belizean Art. The exhibit honors the extraordinary diversity of Belize. Several of the works reference traditional arts reflective of the Maya, Garifuna and Creole cultures, but a few of the many cultures that are part of Belize.
Musa will guest lecture September 20, in conjunction with a special reception from 6:30-8:00 p.m. A reception will also be held during Homecoming weekend September 29 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The show runs until October 5. The Gallery is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
About Upper Iowa University
Founded in 1857, Upper Iowa University is a private, not-for-profit university providing undergraduate and graduate degree programs and leadership development opportunities to over 6,800 students—nationally and internationally—at its Fayette campus and learning centers worldwide. Upper Iowa University is a recognized innovator in offering accredited, quality programs through flexible, multiple delivery systems, including online and independent study.
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