2020-21 John and Marsha Floyd Art and Design Series

We have planned a unique combination of exhibits that will feature our students' work along with faculty, regional and national artists.  The gallery events are subject to change given the uncertainty of COVID and its potential impact on our community. Please check this site for updates throughout the year.


The Dream Deferred

August 24-October 23, 2020

From its inception with the Declaration of Independence, America claimed that “all men were created equal, and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” But what about the right to breathe? 244 years since that document was penned and signed, troubling times and events continue to demonstrate that injustice and inequality still plague our country. The Dream Deferred features a collection of printmakers who have responded in their own ways to racial injustice and inequality in America, seeking to catalyze constructive conversation. This exhibit is curated by Samford Art and Design Associate Professor Geoff Sciacca and Jacksonville State University Assistant Professor Christian Dunn.

Syzygies
by Sarah West

October 29 -November 23, 2020
Virtual Artist's Talk Recording

The word syzygy refers to an alignment, often of the celestial variety. In her paintings, Sarah West creates a cosmos of symbols sacred and domestic, ancient and contemporary, corporeal and digital. The fragmentary nature and floating aspect of these forms creates new narratives, alternately diaristic and global. At the heart of her work is an interest in transformation and desire.

Graceland Graceland
by Joe Cory

Jan. 25- Feb. 19, 2021
Virtual Artist's Talk Recording
Faculty member Joe Cory presents new paintings created against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the artist, "My exhibition Graceland, Graceland, results from a process of internal reflection on external events. The paintings on display, derived from online sources and observation, were created against the backdrop of the global pandemic and election turmoil and serve as a visual record of my personal and collective experiences of the past year. I appropriated the exhibition's title from the chorus of Paul Simon's song Graceland, whose lyrics tell a story of the songwriter's search for solace and peace in a season of loss by making a pilgrimage to his artistic roots. To depict these sentiments, I returned to my own roots of traditional representational painting influenced by artists such as John Singer Sargent, Ilya Repin, and George Shaw. The poetic nature of the compositions is important. The symbolism and metaphors within the images balance sentiments of isolation and loss with the hope that despite the changing circumstances around us, moments of grace remain abundant."   

Diversity Series presents:
Wired Differently: Neurodiversity of the Human Mind by Trent Carruth

March 1-12
Join Virtual Artist's Talk Recording 

Trent Carruth explores mental health in this Diversity Series event. He wants the show "To give those who struggle with their mental health an avenue through which they can make themselves vulnerable and talk about how their struggles affect their daily lives and have shaped them into the people they are today. You will see them on the outside in their photos, a representation of who they are on the inside through their paintings, and who they are in words."

Studio Art Senior Exhibition - Mallory Byrd

March 17-31
Virtual Artists' Talk Recording

Senior Mallory Byrd shares her body of work in I Kept The Roses.

Studio Art Senior Exhibitions - Aspen Herzog and Nicole Weldy

April 6-16
Virtual Artists' Talk Recording

Graduating seniors Aspen Herzog and Nicole Weldy will display their senior capstone projects.

Studio Art Senior Exhibition by Emily Kent

April 19-29, Art Lofts
Senior Emily Kent will have a virtual artist talk on April 20 at 5 p.m. She will also host an in person talk back on April 29 at 7 p.m. by reservation only.  

Art and Design Student Juried Exhibition sponsored by Michael J.
and Mary Anne Freeman

April 20-29

This yearly exhibition spotlights work created by our Studio Art, Graphic Design, 3D Animation and Game Design, and Interior Architecture students. Virtual closing reception and awards Thursday, April 29 @ 5 p.m.

Graphic Design Senior Exhibition
underwritten by Steve and Debby Heitzke

May 3-8, 2021

Graduating seniors will display their senior capstone projects of graphic design for public and professional review.

 

Samford Art Gallery Solo Show Submission

Please fill out the following form for consideration to be shown in our Samford University Art Gallery. Our gallery schedule is normally booked up about a year out. We have a small stipend for those selected to show work in the gallery. Preference is given to work that has conceptual weight and uniqueness.