The Grace College Department of Visual and Performing Arts is pleased to announce its new art exhibition, “Creative Explorations” by Emily Austin. The exhibit will feature a collection of watercolors, which will be displayed through Tuesday, Oct. 15, at the Art Gallery of Mount Memorial Hall, 1 Lancer Way, Winona Lake.
Austin was born and raised in Hawaii. She moved to Indiana to attend Grace College, where she studied fine art and graphic design. After graduating in 2012, Austin continued to develop her artistic style, experimenting further with painting, graphic design and photography. Since then, she has participated in local art and regional shows. Two of Austin’s paintings were featured in the 2023 J.R.R. Tolkien Calendar published by Harper Collins. Through her business, Emily Austin Design, she runs an Etsy store and takes private commissions.
“This show encompasses work from my creative explorations through the past decade,” said Austin. “Working in my primary medium, I developed a more consistent watercolor style and approach involving the slow, careful buildup of many paint layers. I enjoy details and frequently work directly from my own reference photographs to capture as many small details as possible. This approach is visible most in the landscape images of locations such as Indiana, the United Kingdom and Italy.”
“Emily’s work is also influenced by her literary interests, including the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis,” said Dr. Kim M. Reiff, dean of the School of Arts and Humanities. “As a graduate of Grace College, her work exemplifies artistic curiosity as she continues to integrate new processes and seeks to experiment with new media, including dye and textile painting. Working in a less controlled manner, this method offers a complementary practice to her detailed watercolor renderings.”
Austin holds a bachelor’s degree from Grace College and a Master of Arts in Language and Literature from Sigmund University.
Austin will give an artist talk in the Mount Memorial Art Gallery on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. The community is invited to attend the free opening reception from 7-9 p.m.
The exhibit is open to all without charge through Tuesday, Oct 15. Art Gallery hours are Monday – Friday, 1 – 5 p.m. For more information, call the Grace College Department of Visual and Performing Arts at 574-372-5100 ext. 6022 or email artgallery@grace.edu. The exhibit is ADA accessible.
