MFA Thesis Exhibition III runs April 15-19 in the Eisentrager•Howard Gallery in Richards Hall. The exhibition features the work of Jewelya Coffey (painting and drawing) and Matt Meyer (sculpture), both graduating Master of Fine Arts students in the School of Art, Art History and Design.
Coffey and Meyer will give artist talks on starting at 4 p.m. April 19 in Richards Hall, Room 15. A closing reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. April 19 in the gallery.
General hours for the MFA Thesis Exhibitions in the gallery are noon to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Admission is free and open to the public.
Contact the School of Art, Art History and Design for more information at 402-472-5522 or schoolaahd@unl.edu.
Below is more information about the final two MFA Thesis exhibitions:
Jewelya Coffey | Softly and Tenderly Calling
Jewelya Coffey is a multidisciplinary artist who makes two-dimensional and three-dimensional work. Her colorful, highly symbolic pieces play with themes of memory, grief, religion, rural life, folklore, growing up in the Ozarks, and explores the god-haunted image. Pushing the boundaries of what a drawing can be, she hopes to capture the spirit of drawing across many mediums.
Born in Searcy, Arkansas, and raised partly in Aurora, Missouri, Coffey is an artist and educator currently living in Lincoln, Nebraska. She received her BFA in graphic design from Harding University in 2015. Her work has been most recently exhibited at Project Project, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, and Roberta and Bob Rogers Gallery in Omaha, LUX Center for the Arts and Medici Gallery in Lincoln, Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, and sUgAr Gallery at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She will obtain her MFA in painting and drawing in the spring of 2024.
Matt Meyer | 4:44
Matt Meyer’s exhibition is titled “4:44,” which comes from Jay Z’s album. The collection is all about the vulnerability of the Black American experience. Apprehension and elation are two feelings that flow throughout the work and sometimes intertwine. The work shown varies in material and style. There are 2D paper works, works on canvas, and digitally designed images that are printed onto canvas. There are also sculptures that are created using wood, clay, found objects, and plaster. While things may seem separate, they still find a way to flow together. Things within this exhibition challenge how others see the Black experience and how we see ourselves. The goal of all his work is to leave an educational impression on the audience that will cause them to question life, as well as information that is taught.
Meyer is a conceptual, mixed-media creator working with ideas of identity, education and history, both past and present. He creates using sculpture, painting, drawing, printmaking and digital to tell a story through the Black Voice. In his work, he focuses on the Black experience within America, while still acknowledging and drawing upon the Global Black experience. He earned his B.F.A. at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. His work has been shown throughout the U.S. and internationally.
