The Austin College Department of Art and Art History is hosting an alumni exhibit of works by Dennis Nance and Candace Hicks through October 31 in Dennis Gallery of Forster Art Studio Complex. The gallery is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public. For information, call the Art Department at 903.813.2048.
Hicks’ work, titled “Books and Boxes,” is the product of her passion for collecting coincidences such as unusual phrases repeated in two different books. Although she had noticed the phenomenon before, the phrase “antique dental instrument” inspired her to keep a record. She said the phrases themselves are not particularly meaningful to her, but the process of collecting has shaped how she looks at life, filters her experiences, and considers her art. Her work consists of artists’ books, video, performance, printmaking, and drawing.
Hicks is the coordinator of foundations at Stephen F. Austin State University, where she teaches foundational courses in two-dimensional media. The 2000 Austin College graduate with majors in French and art, with an emphasis on drawing and painting, also earned a Master of Fine Art degree in printmaking from Texas Christian University. Her works are in collections in New York, at several universities, and throughout Texas and California, as well as international settings.
Nance has developed his work around familiar festivals and celebrations. This collection titled “Cast of Characters” includes original costumes that celebrate the absurdity of common things. His recent interest in sewing and making costumes is formative to this installation. Nance said costumes transform not only the person wearing them but also the audience that interacts with them. He uses light-hearted humor to get a reaction.
Nance lives in Houston, Texas, and works as the curator of the Galveston Arts Center in Galveston. In 2015, he was awarded an Individual Artist Grant from the Houston Arts Alliance and an Idea Fund Award, administered through Aurora Picture Show, DiverseWorks Artspace, and Project Row Houses, and funded by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. He has exhibited his work and wearables at the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston. He is a 1999 graduate with a degree in fine arts and French.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 40 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of approximately 1,275 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.