In celebration of Murray State’s centennial year, the Department of Art and Design is hosting a juried art exhibition for the department’s alumni.

The exhibit opened on Sept. 6 in the Clara M. Eagle Gallery and contains the work of alumni who graduated between the years of 1972 and 2021.

The exhibit includes artwork in a variety of artistic mediums: painting, drawing, sculpture, metalworking, printmaking and digital work.

One prominent piece in the exhibit is a drawing titled “You and the Clouds” created by alumnus Randy Simmons in 2020. “You and the Clouds” is a black-and-white portrait of a woman surrounded by flowers.

“This is a portrait of my mom at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Simmons said. “I photographed her after putting her groceries away. We had taken her car keys. Her hearing had worsened, and she uses a walker now, but despite all, she seemed in good spirits. I wanted a busy drawing, lots of details and patterns and heavily drawing in an organic, floral ‘Art Nouveau’ style.”

The drawing also features images of an ear and the cochlea, a snail-shaped part of the inner ear.

“I am also into collecting medical posters and charts which are hanging around my house, hence the diagram of the ear and cochlea that appear in this drawing,” Simmons said.

Since his time at Murray State, Simmons has received an M.F.A. from the University of Cincinnati, has been featured in several art exhibitions and works as a professor of drawing at the Paducah School of Art and Design.

Another notable piece at the exhibition is a digital illustration titled “Identifying Gang Activity” by alumnus Joe Duncan. This work is a comic pamphlet that aims to educate the fictional community of “Pleasantville” on how to identify gang members.

The piece draws parallels between stereotypical elements of gang culture and police officers, including clothing, weapons, jewelry and violence.

“I believe in art as a civic tool for projecting my thoughts on the issues that affect me, my family and my community,” Duncan said. “I learned most of my concept of responsibility in the arts from my early years reading comic books.”

After graduating from Murray State in 2011, Duncan spent the majority of his early career working as an illustrator and exhibit designer for public education organizations.

Duncan moved back to Kentucky in 2018 and has since gained a changed perspective on the arts through being a stay-at-home dad and doing freelance work.

“I spend my days watching cartoons, playing music and drawing and painting— whatever inspires me or pays the most,” Duncan said. “Spending every waking hour with the unbridled imagination of a toddler has reopened a connection in me to the original source of my attraction to arts. This connection and awareness has led me to one of the most fulfilling moments to date in my artistic journey, and I am holding on for dear life and enjoying the ride.”

For Duncan, the centennial exhibit is more than an opportunity to exhibit work—it is a chance to reconnect with the University community.

“It is hard for me to accurately express my affection for Murray’s art department and all that it has provided me over the years that all boil down to a greater quality of life,” Duncan said. “It is a real joy to get to have my art back in its halls for a few weeks.”

Alumni from the Department of Art and Design who graduated with a B.A., B.S., B.F.A. or an M.A. degree were encouraged to submit their work to be displayed in the exhibit. Works of all mediums created in the last five years were considered for display.

Artwork featured in the exhibit will be judged by a panel of three jurors:  alumnae Shelby Adams, Jasmine Groves and Amanda Kaler.

According to the jurors’ statement in the exhibits, jurors attempted to select work that presented a wide range of ideas and material exploration.

“The selection process was difficult, and ultimately, hard decisions had to be made,” according to the jurors’ statement. “The final selections in some way embody qualities that showcase excellence in craft or technique, examinations reflective of current issues, the human condition or ideas that explore the self in relation to a larger context.”

Simmons’ and Duncan’s art, among those from other Murray State alumni, can be viewed from 8 a.m.to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday on the first floor of the Clara M. Eagle Gallery. To stay up to date with information about the centennial exhibit’s closing ceremony and juror results, follow the Department of Art and Design on Facebook and Instagram.