Barry Nemett, chair of the painting department at the Maryland Institute of Art, will speak about his work in conjunction with the Bates College Museum of Art exhibition Barry Nemett: Drawings from Italy.

The event has been rescheduled since it was first announced and will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, in Room 104, Olin Arts Center, 75 Russell St. Nemett's exhibition opened on Oct. 10, in conjunction with Joel Babb: The Process Revealed. (more...)

Passionate about design and its effectiveness in the consumer world, Gardner creates alternative packaging for different products -- wine, coffee and energy drinks. "Packaging design intrigues me most because it serves so many purposes at once," he says. "It must inform and entice the consumer, remain consistent with a brand, sell the product to a target market and effectively contain the product."

Dean's mixed-media illustrations accompany an unpublished children's narrative by Matthew Heffernan of the Bates class of 2005. "Little Man and the Four Elements" depicts a young boy who explores the presence of hip hop in his community. Dean's illustrations incorporate specific allusions to his own life. "I was captivated as a child by books because of the details of the illustrations," Dean says.

McLean's mixed-media collages stress abstraction, eschewing icons and other symbols that may arouse preconceived notions. She says, "These pieces are anonymous in their first impression, yet strangely organic in their undertone. Each is very much about exploring the artistic process of creating a convincing and viable abstract construction."

A musician as well as visual artist, Tsichlis has "systematically deconstructed a piano in the form of large-scale oil paintings. From the images of the mundane and recognizable piano keys to the less easily identified hammers inside the piano, it is evident that this is not simply a machine for producing sound, but a work of art in itself, capable of striking an emotional chord within the viewer."

Webel was inspired by her time in Bali to create digital collages. Seeking to express the Balinese idea of "rwa bhineda," the belief that all things are connected and constantly seek balance, she developed an interest "in the everyday relationships surrounding me, in particular the connection between the vibrant textures and intoxicating colors of Bali." Webel uses collage to "push the boundaries between a range of art forms to find equilibrium."

In his digital photographs, Schoen juxtaposes eggs with other items. "The inherent cultural symbolism of the egg and the juxtaposition of items that heighten this meaning are of interest to me," he says, "providing a subject through which various ideas can be conveyed."

Ng's portraits combine digital projection and photography. While photography is a medium sometimes thought to represent reality, Ng uses projection to startle the viewer and blur the line between real and fabricated. "For many people, digital photography may appear simple, but for me, it has come to represent a way of life and a mindset of keen observation that forces me to stop and take stock of how I view the world," she says.

Through making books, Mitchell seeks to explore the idea of home. "Books are tangible and tactile; books can be picked up, moved through, understood as parts, moments or as a whole," she says. "They are places, units, enclosures and homes for information, stories, pictures and secrets."

McLean's mixed-media collages stress abstraction, eschewing icons and other symbols that may arouse preconceived notions. She says, "These pieces are anonymous in their first impression, yet strangely organic in their undertone. Each is very much about exploring the artistic process of creating a convincing and viable abstract construction."