Five Artists Featured in TAMIU Art Exhibit Through Feb. 25

Beautiful landscapes, garden scenes, figurative work and ceramics will be on display at the upcoming exhibit, “Color and Place—Five Explorations,” at the Texas A&M International University Center for the Fine and Performing Arts (CFPA) Gallery.

Gallery hours are 12 – 5 p.m., Monday – Thursday and by appointment.

“Featured artists Laurie Hickman Cox, Marilu Flores Gruben, Susan Sheils Johnson, Mary Elizabeth Schleier and Sally Sheils Schupp met when they all attended Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas where they were students of renowned art professor Roger Winter. They remained professional colleagues and friends and have had many group shows together in Dallas,” said Alma R. Haertlein, Gallery director.

The group shared models and had shows together with a few other women in the late 1980s. This is the first time in 20 years all five artists have shown together.

Schleier grew up in Atlanta, Ga., and earned a B.F.A. and a teaching certificate from the University of Georgia. She was a Meadows Scholar at SMU and received an M.F.A. in studio art.

Native Laredoan Gruben’s work focuses on water and rivers. The Laredo native created a series on the Rio Grande River, a series of swimming pools and paintings inspired by a trip to Brazil. Her work ranges from abstract to painterly representation.

Her paintings and collages have been exhibited in galleries and museums in the U.S. and México and in the permanent collections of various corporations and education institutions. She received her training in art at Incarnate Word College in San Antonio, the University of Texas at Austin and SMU, where she earned a master’s degree.

Lifelong Dallas resident Johnson holds a B.F.A. and M.F.A. from SMU concentrating in painting, printmaking and drawing.

After graduation, Johnson taught those disciplines for many years in SMU’s continuing education department and the fine arts department as adjunct faculty.

She has a lengthy exhibition record and frequently donates her work for numerous good causes including many years of theater design and production, robotics competitions and literary festivals.

Schupp graduated from SMU with a B.F.A., magna cum laude, post-graduate work in drawing and painting at the Kansas City Art Institute and post-graduate work in painting with Roger Winter at SMU.
Her experience includes work as a design coordinator at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Mo., art director at The Drawing Board and art director at Carlton Cards, both in Dallas. She is currently a freelance artist and art director.

Schupp’s work has been exhibited at Andelon Gallery, Zen Gallery, Preston Forest, Conduit Gallery, Dallas Museum of Art, DW Gallery and Crescent Gallery.

For a calendar of upcoming arts events, visit tamiu.edu/coas/fpa/coe.shtml or call 326-ARTS (2787) for a recording of upcoming events.

For more information, contact Haertlein at 326.3041 or e-mail almah@tamiu.edu

Additional information is also available @txamiu on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu