The University of Alabama Department of Art and Art History presents the Master of Arts thesis exhibitions of Ryan Akers and Kole Nichols, February 16-23, 2022, in the Sella-Granata Art Gallery in Woods Hall. The public is invited to a reception, Thursday, February 17 from 5-8 p.m. Visitors must wear masks inside all UA buildings.
Split Infinitive – MA Thesis Exhibition of Ryan Akers
Ryan Akers, a graduate student in painting with an assistantship, writes in his artist statement: “My work presents an array of objects in preternatural arrangements that provide space for examining the tangible and emphasizing concrete experience. We live lives split between worlds–analog and digital, work and home, wake and sleep. Through material, shape, scale and color I create objects that seem at once novel and familiar to reflect the tension of constantly being pulled in different directions.” His painting, Penteco$t, was selected for the Director’s Award in the biennial 44th Montgomery (Ala.) Art Guild Museum Exhibition. Follow him on Instagram.
It’s Blue – MA Thesis Exhibition of Kole Nichols
Kole Nichols is a graduate student in printmaking with an assistantship. In his artist statement, Nichols writes that his work consists of “the exploration of the liminal spaces that exist between feelings of strength and fragility. As I work, utilizing lines, points, and planes, I seek to create a sense of space from within the confines of the two-dimensional surface. This constant pursuit allows me to foster a contemplative environment in which one can slow down for but a moment and be still.”
Nichols assists in printmaking and color theory courses. He holds a BFA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Recent exhibitions include 44th Montgomery (Ala.) Art Guild Museum Exhibition in which he won the Stonehenge Gallery Award; in the Roswell (Ga.) City Hall and the Roswell Visual Arts Center; and The Red Clay Survey, Huntsville (Ala.) Museum of Art. Nichols has interned with artist Sara Garden Armstrong, assisted photographer Kenwyn Alexander and taught drawing classes at Space One Eleven in Birmingham. Follow him on Instagram.
The SGAG is a vital learning resource for the department and an essential part of the education and development of UA students and our community. The gallery is run by a committee of faculty, staff and students, and supported by student workers. Visitors must wear face coverings inside the gallery. Funding support for the gallery comes from the Department of Art and Art History and the College of Arts and Sciences. For more information, go to the gallery’s webpage.
Gallery hours are Monday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm; Tuesday 11:00 pm – 7:00 pm; Wednesday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm; Thursday 11:00-7:00 pm; and Friday 9:00 am – 1:00 pm, during the spring semester when school is in session.
Information about visitor parking is available on the UA parking services website. For more information, contact the gallery at (205) 348-1893.