Newman University’s Steckline Gallery will open its 2011-2012 season with “Iron Town Confidential” by painter and photographer Alan Watson. The exhibit will begin with a Final Friday reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26 and run through Friday, Sept. 23. Both the reception and admission to the gallery are free and open to the public.
An “Art for Lunch” presentation by Watson will be held Tuesday, Aug. 30 from noon to 1 p.m. The first 20 guests will receive a box lunch. This event is also free and reservations are not required.
Watson is a painter and photographer who lives and works in southeast Michigan. He received a bachelor of fine arts from Wayne State University in Detroit, Mich., and a master of fine arts from Wichita State University. He teaches painting and drawing at Paint Creek Center for the Arts in Rochester, Mich. In addition, he has extensive experience in the fields of industrial security and firefighting.
Watson’s images are reflective of the gritty industrial scene in the Detroit area, in particular the automobile and the iron and steel industry. Regardless of the media, these images range from the documentary to the Expressionistic and on into complete abstraction. Alan Watson’s paintings, prints, and photographs are to be found in public and private collections across the United States.
The Steckline Gallery is located inside the De Mattias Fine Arts Center on the Newman campus, 3100 McCormick. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment. For more information, call 316-942-4291, ext. 2199.
