Faculty Works to be Featured in The University of Findlay’s Lea Gallery
Art by faculty members Anne Beekman, Ed Corle, Spencer Cunningham, Valerie Escobedo, Dr. Diane Kontar, Dr. Marie Louden-Hanes, Anita McCandless and Jeff Salisbury will be on display from Jan. 9 through Feb. 3 at The University of Findlay’s Lea Gallery, located inside the Virginia B. Gardner Fine Arts Pavilion. The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. An artists’ reception will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, in the gallery.
Beekman, assistant professor of graphic design, worked for 20 years as an art director, graphic designer and Web developer in publishing and advertising, winning multiple communication design awards for her work. Client accounts have included ADT, Calvin Klein, Johnson & Johnson, Oscar de la Rentá, U.S. Army and Verizon Wireless. She earned a bachelor of fine arts degree (BFA) from The Cleveland Institute of Art and a master of fine arts (MFA) in graphic design and illustration from Marywood University. She now donates her creative services to local non-profit organizations.
Corle, associate professor of art, is a potter who contributed eight items made of stoneware clay for the exhibit. His work features decorations including a variety of glazes and white slip application, reflecting his interest in the hand-thrown vessel. He has taught classes in ceramics, sculpture and design since 1986 and earned a BFA from Ohio Northern University and an MFA from the Rochester Institute of Technology, School for the American Craftsman.
Cunningham, an adjunct faculty member, earned a bachelor of arts (BA) in education from Bluffton University, an MA from The Ohio State University in photography and film and an MFA from Bowling Green State University (BGSU), with postgraduate work in a visual studies workshop at the Rochester Institute of Technology. In addition to teaching digital photography at The University of Findlay and the Toledo Museum of Art, Cunningham freelanced in public relations photography and video production for clients including the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Public and Toledo area parochial school systems, and a wide range of local and national businesses, organizations, design agencies and production companies. His work is represented by three items in the exhibit.
Escobedo is an assistant professor of art, teaching painting, drawing, printmaking, watercolor and 2-D design. She earned a BFA from Bowling Green State University and an MFA in painting from Miami University. Her current paintings, represented by four works, are a study of the individuals who work at a local deli. Recent exhibitions include the Ohio Art League’s Fall Juried Show and “Head First” and “Nude” at Manifest Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her work was also selected for inclusion in the 2011 International Painting Annual published by Manifest Press.
Kontar, an assistant professor of art history, has taught art history and art appreciation at The University of Findlay since 2004. A native of Minneapolis, Minn., she earned degrees in art history, classical archaeology and art education, completing her Ph.D. at Florida State University in 2000. Her artwork, represented by one piece in the show, is inspired by art history.
Louden-Hanes, dean of undergraduate education at The University of Findlay, joined Findlay College in 1986. Her paintings, ranging from small works on paper to large canvases, capture the essence of the natural environment. Using the medium of photography, she records the random conversations and incidental activities of everyday life.
McCandless, an adjunct faculty member, has taught design at The University of Findlay since 1990. She earned a BA degree from Findlay College and an MFA from Bowling Green State University. Her artwork, represented by three pieces in the show, is described as “simply a very tactile response to observations and influences in her life.”
Salisbury, an instructor of art, has been teaching photography at The University of Findlay since 1999. He earned a bachelor of science in business administration at Morehead State University, and since 1976 he has owned and operated a commercial photography business. “Photography has been important in my life since I was 14, when my father gave me his Argus C3 camera,” he said. Salisbury contributed four items to the exhibit.