February 25, 2008 to
March 7, 2008

Urbana University

Start Time: 5:30pm

Cost:

Upcoming Art Exhibition at Urbana University

Urbana University will continue its Artist Series with an exhibit by nationally and internationally known artist Ms. Nancy Miller. The exhibit will open to the public at 5:30 p.m. Monday February 25 with a “Meet the Artist” reception. The work of Ms Miller will be on display weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. through March 7, 2008 in the Multi-Purpose Room in the University Student Center. Special note – the exhibit will be closed weekends and on Tuesday, March 4th.

Ms. Miller’s artwork is a combination of scans of pencil drawings and paintings painted on the computer. Computer-generated paintings and drawings are brought into an animation program, along with voice and music, to create the finished film. The films can be displayed on a room size computer monitor or VCR.

The artist describes her artistic journey this way; “Like many women of my era, I was educated in art but my career did not begin until 1960. I was a resident of Ohio, and there I started painting and exhibiting extensively. In the ensuing years I participated in sixty-three group shows and twenty-nine solo exhibitions from New York to California. During this period my work was very architectural; it was purchased for many public buildings and corporate collections as well as by private collectors and museums”.

“In 1980, I moved to New York. I had become compulsively motivated by a deep psychic desire for complete change. In 1985, I spent five weeks in Germany and Italy. This and ensuing trips reinforced my inner suspicions that civilization is no different than it was in Medieval times and the European's comprehension of this allows them to relate to, have empathy with, and to understand and respect my work; so in 1987 I decided to divide the remainder of my life between Italy and New York, settling in Senigallia, a very inspiring city on the Adriatic for the Italian half”.

“About the same time, I was introduced to a Macintosh computer and became fascinated with the possibilities it opens up to the fine arts, perceiving that animation could develop into moving paintings. The challenge was to master it, to use it as my tool and not to let it master me, tempting me with all of its gimmicks. In time, I learned the various programs I needed to work with”.

Ms. Miller states that “the artist's obligation is to communicate visually the messages of the future. Therefore I must express myself with a visual independence found only outside this system. This is made easier by my age and sex which, paradoxically, both precludes me from any hope of acceptance into this system and assists me in my quest to reach out and to touch this planet on higher and better visual plateaus obtainable only through the experience of these”.

Her hope is that somehow, in some way, her works may have a small influence in focusing attention on the gravity of the problems now faced by this, our planet.”


For more information about each artist contact Lin Roberts at Lroberts@urbana.edu or 937-484-1271.