The Art Gallery at Eastern Connecticut State University is kicking off its fall 2020 season with an exhibition showcasing the university’s painting and drawing faculty. Running until Oct. 1 with the opening reception on Sept. 10 from 4–6 p.m., the exhibit is dedicated to the memory of Andy Jones, a longtime faculty member and professor of painting who passed away in January. Many of his early and late works will be shown in the exhibit.

While the complex media of painting, drawing, installation and collage that faculty members worked with for this show are interconnected and overlap, the subjects of each artist’s work do not. The exhibit presents a variety of topics that represent the faculty’s varied reflections of landscapes, multicultural experiences and representations of a “voracious consumer culture,” according to Art Gallery Director Yulia Tikhonova.

This exhibit is open to visitors during “unprecedented times,” said Tikhonova. While the country experiences continued protests regarding police brutality, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and a deep recession, the new exhibit will provide visitors with a refreshing perspective. “We are woken and look for art that offers a new window into social justice, racial equity, civic engagement and economic rights,” says Tikhonova. “We are eager to embrace the artistic energies and explorations of our art faculty.”

The “2020 Painting and Drawing Faculty Exhibition” is part of a biennial installment. The work of the sculpture faculty will be presented in 2022.

The Art Gallery is located in the Fine Arts Instructional Center and open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. or by appointment. For more information, email the Gallery Director Tikhonova at tikhonovay@easternct.edu or call (860) 465-4625.