Laredo College proudly welcomes Sarah Nguyen and her exhibit “Light that Dwells” to the Martha Fenstermaker Memorial Visual Arts Gallery on March 23 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for opening night. The exhibit will be a wonderful showcase of Nguyen’s work with traditional Jewish paper cutting, and will run until April 21.
Admission is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Opening night attendees will also get a chance to take part and listen to Nguyen’s gallery talk at 5:30 p.m.
Without question, her exhibit is a great opportunity to witness the effect of light and shadows through art. It will also be an opportunity for students to talk and ask Nguyen questions regarding her years of experience in her craft and how her personal experiences shape her art.
“My work starts with a story, a traditional folktale or fable, or a contemporary poem or memorable phrase,” Nguyen said. “The work itself is driven by the images that these stories evoke, and is propelled further by every brush-stroke, mark making, blade cut and gesture laid down in the aftermath. The stories and myths of a culture convey a sense of place, and a sense of the people who inhabit that place. In this way, visual art that interacts with story enters a narrative sphere where it must encounter the local.”
She added that her most recent work focuses on stories and family lore from women in the Old Testament alongside her experiences in Missouri. As a stranger to the Midwest, Nguyen said she looked to understand the culture over the span of her 14 years living in Columbia, Missouri. This included learning more about the folklore, music and stories from the Ozarks.
Over the years, Nguyen has held numerous exhibits throughout the country, including solo exhibits to select group shows. She studied at both the Rhode Island School of Design and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration and Master of Fine Arts in Painting, respectively.
Her impressive list of accolades sees numerous recognitions and awards from around the country, including winning best in show at the “Art from the Heartland” art exhibit in Indianapolis and best in show at the Mildred M. Cox Gallery Kemper Center for the Arts at William Woods University, to name a few. She has also been awarded the University of Central Missouri Foundations Grant as well as the Galleri 2987 Artist Creation Grant. Several publications have also featured Nguyen in their written works, including the Green Mountain Review, Roundabout, Mid-American Review, and Creative Magazine, among others.
LC students will also have an opportunity to witness Nguyen and practice alongside her the art of hand cut paper artistry during a Shadow Play workshop. For more information, contact the Visual and Performing Arts Department at (956) 721-5224.