Tyler Museum of Art spotlights collage artists in Pieced Together exhibit

Published 2:55 pm Tuesday, May 31, 2016

The dynamic art of three regional artists who work in an unconventional medium is the spotlight of Tyler Museum of Art’s exhibition Pieced Together: Collages by Lance Letscher, Mark Lewis and Mary McCleary.

Organized by the Tyler Museum of Art and curated by Caleb Bell, the exhibition features almost 30 works exploring the technique of collage and draws inspiration from a vast array of thoughts and feelings, people and places.

“Like the subjects and inspirations of the pieces, the materials used by each individual artist differ from one another,” Bell said. “However, they are constructed in similar manners. Collage derives its name from coller, the French verb meaning to glue. The exhibition’s title, Pieced Together, directly references the way the works are created.”

The exhibition opens on Sunday and continues through Sept. 18. Admission is free.

Lewis will offer insights into his work during an opening-day artist talk at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the museum. Seating at the talk is limited. For reservations, call 903-595-1001.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Lance Letscher (b.1962) lives and works in Austin, having received his bachelor of fine arts and master of fine arts from the University of Texas. In some of his more recent work, the artist’s ongoing fascination with innovation and locomotion emerges.

“These ideas clearly can be seen in The Tone, which is comprised of various boats and planes,” Bell said. Letscher’s work is held in numerous public and private collections in the Southwest, including the TMA, where his work recently was featured during the exhibition Contemporary Texas in 2014.

Mark Lewis (b. 1959) lives and works in Tulsa, Okla. He received his B.F.A. from the Kansas City Art Institute and M.F.A. from Yale University. Lewis’ collages are inspired by the experiences of daily life, particularly street scenes and areas from Tulsa, that capture the everyday in an abstracted manner.

“His work visually highlights life’s simple pleasures, like taking a stroll, while also drumming up larger ideas such as community,” Bell said.

Mary McCleary (b. 1951) lives and works in Nacogdoches, and is Regent’s Professor of Art Emeritus at Stephen F. Austin State University, where she taught from 1975-2005. She received her B.F.A. from Texas Christian University and M.F.A. from the University of Oklahoma.

She has participated in nearly 250 exhibitions in 24 states, Mexico and Russia. Her work often focuses on subject matter inspired by history, science or literature.

“I like the irony of using materials that are often trivial, foolish, and temporal to express ideas of what is significant, timeless and transcendent,” she said.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Special events in connection with Pieced Together include an artist talk by McCleary at 2:30 p.m. July 10 with a small reception to follow. The exhibition will be the focus of First Friday Tours at 11 a.m. July 1, Aug. 5 and Sept. 2, and Family Days from 2 to 4 p.m. June 11, July 9, Aug. 13 and Sept. 10.

Admission to special events is free, but reservations are encouraged.

The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and participates in the North American Reciprocal Museum Association which allows TMA members to receive free or discount admission at hundreds of museums. For a list of participating institutions, visit http://narmassociation.org.

Jon Perry is the communications coordinator for Tyler Museum of Art.

About TMA

The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at 1300 S. Mahon Ave., on the Tyler Junior College campus.

Support for Pieced Together is provided by Collectors’ Circle-Gold Sponsors June and Steve Hillis and Media Sponsor Tyler Today Magazine.

The museum’s members, TJC and the city of Tyler of Tyler provide ongoing financial support.