The Hite Art Institute at UofL presents the 2015 Master of Arts Thesis Exhibitions, “Trace of a Body” curated by master’s candidate Bailey Mazik, “Traces of the Hand” by master’s candidate Molly Passafiume and “Body Image” curated by master’s candidate Emma Sharps.
The exhibits will be on display March 12-April 5 at the Schneider Hall Galleries on UofL’s Belknap Campus.
For “Trace of a Body,” Mazik features the work of contemporary artist Chris Radtke. The exhibit examines the relationship of the artist’s sense of personal space to the materials used. Mazik, a graduate student in critical and curatorial studies, received her bachelor’s in art history from The Ohio State University and is currently co-curating an exhibit at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft.
In “Traces of the Hand,” Passafiume presents works in ceramics and handmade paper focusing on patterns in nature including the flow of water, the grain of wood, and the swirls of finger prints. Passafiume, a graduate student in studio art, received her bachelor’s of fine arts in studio art and a master’s in art education from UofL.
Sharps curates photography, sculpture and glass works of four women artists – Jen Davis, Lauren Greenfield, Leslie Lyons and Licia Priest – for “Body Image.” The exhibit critiques the negative effects art and pop culture have on perceptions of the female body, particularly women’s perceptions of their own bodies. Sharps received a bachelor’s in history from American University and has interned at the Smithsonian Folkways in Washington D.C. and the Frazier History Museum in Louisville.
The opening reception for the exhibit is 5:30 p.m., March 12, at the Schneider Hall Galleries. Additionally, four public gallery talks will be held during the exhibit’s run. Sharps will host interactive walkthroughs of “Body Image” at 4:30 p.m., March 12 and 12:30 p.m., March 24 while Mazik will lead walkthroughs at 2 p.m., March 23 and 25.
All exhibits and gallery talks are free and open to the public. For more information, visit louisville.edu/art.
