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M. Christina Geis Art Gallery Reopens with Mixed Media Exhibit

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Exhibit to Feature Work by Artists Amy Faris and Kate Okeson

After a year of Building Our Future Bond renovations throughout Georgian Court University’s Jeffries Hall and other buildings, the refurbished M. Christina Geis Art Gallery—with the addition of a built-in projection system for multimedia exhibits—will reopen on Thursday, September 22, with a mixed media exhibit featuring works by artists Amy Faris and Kate Okeson. The exhibit, which will be on display until October 22, will open with an artists’ reception on September 22 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the gallery.

Amy-Faris-Gallery-Glow-Stick
Above: “Untitled” from the Glow Stick series, graphite and watercolor on paper by Amy Faris. Top: Excerpt from “/whomever writes the script of revolutions/they write it the same every time/standing in the ruins/and dreaming,” ink on watercolor paper by Kate Okeson

Amy Faris, a GCU lecturer in art, holds a B.F.A. from Moore College of Art and Design and an M.F.A. from the New York Academy of Art. She was the founder and coordinator of the Brookdale Visiting Artist Program at Brookdale Community College, where she is also an adjunct faculty member. She has exhibited her work throughout New Jersey and New York, as well as in the Midwest.

“My work explores personal sensory memory from childhood,” says Ms. Faris, who uses graphite and plaster on a variety of paper surfaces as well as on sanded gesso. “The pieces are purposely fragile, friable, and transitory.”

Kate Okeson holds a B.F.A. from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and has been a fine arts educator at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School since 2002. She has exhibited her work throughout the state and in Brooklyn, New York. For this exhibit, she will present ink on watercolor paper works that are excerpts from a project entitled “/whomever writes the script of revolutions/they write it the same every time/standing in the ruins/and dreaming.”

“I make tripwires,” notes Ms. Okeson, who says that she likes to catch the viewer unaware and change the level at which they are addressed. “The viewer moves into the space on their terms, and leaves on mine.”

The gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information, call Kathleen Settles at 732.987.2388 or e-mail ksettles@georgian.edu.

Aerial view of GCU.

About Georgian Court University

Georgian Court University is a leading regional university that provides a transformative education, preparing students for ethical leadership and service in the Catholic Mercy tradition. Founded in 1908 and sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, Georgian Court University is Central and South Jersey’s only Catholic university. The university has a strong liberal arts core and a historic special concern for women.

As a forward-thinking university that supports diversity and academic excellence, GCU is known for expanding possibility for more than 1,900 students of all faiths and backgrounds in 35+ undergraduate majors and 10+ graduate programs. The GCU Lions compete in 16 NCAA Division II sports in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC). In 2020, GCU was named a Best Value College by Money.com and a Best Bang for the Buck (Northeast) by Washington Monthly. High student retention and graduation rates make GCU a Top Performer on Social Mobility on U.S. News & World Reports rankings.

The main campus is in Lakewood, New Jersey, on the picturesque former George Jay Gould estate, a National Historic Landmark. Georgian Court, which is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, also serves students through its Center for Professional Studies, and at other locations, including GCU at Brookdale, and through multiple online degree and certificate programs.

Deposit Deadline Extended to June 1

Georgian Court University has extended the deposit deadline to June 1 in response to the U.S. Department of Education announcement concerning delayed data availability from the revised Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Additionally, deposits are also refundable up to June 1. Click here for more information about the deposit extension.