The Steckline Gallery at Newman University will feature “Hard Pressed and Pulled,” the second show of the 2016-17 season. The exhibit will feature the work of Wichita artists Doug Billings, Marc Bosworth, Gregory Folken, Brad Ruder, Travis Russel and Kathleen Shanahan.
The show will begin with a Final Friday reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, and will be on display through Oct. 21. Both the reception and admission to the gallery are free and open to the public.
An “Art for Lunch” presentation by the artists will be held Tuesday, Oct. 4 from noon to 1 p.m. in the gallery. A light lunch will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests can also bring their lunch. This event is also free and reservations are not required.
The exhibit focuses on a varied range of print mediums, including lithographs, collographs, etchings, mono prints and screen printing. The artists included in this exhibit all convey a contemporary approach to printmaking through their individual styles and techniques, yielding a creative and thoughtful dialog with the viewer.
Doug Billings was born in Landstul, Germany and lived in Europe until the age of 10. Doug received a BFA degree from Mankato State University in Minnesota. He was accepted into the Printmaking Graduate Program by David Bernard and received a MFA degree in Printmaking from Wichita State University.
Marc Bosworth is a Wichita-based painter and printmaker who is an art director at Greteman Group and teaches printmaking at Friends University. He is a founding member of the Famous Dead Artists and was an early organizer of Wichita’s Final Fridays art crawl.
Gregory Folken received a MFA in Studio Art – Printmaking from Wichita State University in 2015 and a BFA in Studio Art – Printmaking from Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi in 2006. He is currently a lecturer at Wichita State University.
Brad Ruder is a graphic designer and gallery owner. He received a BFA in Graphic Design from Wichita State University. Ruder pursues photography, digital artwork and screen-printing.
Travis Russell earned an MFA from Washington University in St. Louis. The artist and foodie is also co-owner of Public at Brickyard in Wichita, Kan.
Kathleen Shanahan received a MFA from the University of Arizona and a BFA from the University of Michigan. Her work incorporates elements of nature from the micro to the macro.
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.
