VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

Lone Star College-CyFair Bosque Gallery presents the exhibition Susan Spjut:  Hidden Epidemic. Visiting artist Susan Spjut’s paintings raise awareness and encourage new perspective. 

Susan Spjut explores topics often glossed over in life and in art galleries with her paintings in Hidden Epidemic, the visiting artist exhibition on display Jan. 25 through Feb. 10 at the Lone Star College-CyFair Bosque Gallery.

With regard to this exhibition’s title, Hidden Epidemic, Spjut said “Family violence, sexual assault and child abuse are often beneath the surface and no one really wants to know about it. We read about it in the papers, feel bad, then move on.”

Spjut’s paintings encourage the viewer to reconsider this perspective.

As a forensic nurse, Spjut works with patients of assault, abuse and violence. When she lost a friend to domestic violence, she found a way to combine her two passions, her work and her paintings. She cuts out newspaper articles and then draws or paints images over the articles.

“In a sense, the newspaper is my canvas. My paintings represent the people ‘stuck’ in these news stories,” she explained. “Often, my paintings are influenced by my emotions after a particularly difficult case. These paintings help me deal with the emotional stress of my job and, hopefully, will help raise awareness of the violence that is so prevalent in our society today.”

More recently Spjut took the idea of news events to start a series using newspaper clippings of the BP oil spill. Those paintings are on display at Bogan Gallery in Galveston.

Learn more about this talented artist in person at the LSC-CyFair Bosque Gallery opening reception set for 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27 in the lobby of the Center for the Arts on the Barker Cypress campus at 9191 Barker Cypress.

For gallery hours and information, contact the Bosque Gallery at 832.482.1038 or go online to LoneStar.edu/bosquegallery.

About Lone Star College-CyFair
Lone Star College-CyFair is the 5th comprehensive college in the Lone Star College System. Lone Star College-CyFair is a comprehensive campus at 9191 Barker Cypress Road. Lone Star College-Fairbanks Center is located at 14955 Northwest Freeway. For more information about Lone Star College-CyFair and its programs, call 281.290.3200 or visit the Web site at LoneStar.edu/cyfair.

About Lone Star College System
With more than 69,000 students in credit classes for fall 2010, and a total enrollment of more than 85,000, Lone Star College System is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area, and the fastest-growing community college system in Texas. Dr. Richard Carpenter is the chancellor of LSCS, which consists of five colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, and LSC-Tomball, six centers, LSC-University Park, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.

Pictured above:  detail Why - oil and newsprint on canvas.
Pictured below: 
“When the Walls Come Tumbling Down” - oil and newsprint on canvas
“Why” - oil and newsprint on canvas
“Tangled” - oil and acrylic on canvas