Study is taking place from June 28 – Aug. 2 and this is Kang’s third educational trip (and the longest one) to her home country, where she has been instrumental in developing a strong partnership with Hanbat National University.

“The summer design camp offers students a chance to learn a lot in a short time. The summer study includes intense classes and so far everything has gone well. The students are happy and grateful for the chance to study in Korea,” she said. Professor Kang has taught at WLU since 2009.

Students also had time to tour and sightsee in the region of Daejeon, Seoul and Jeonju, since the school provided a school bus to transport the students around.

Korean study abroad students for 2018 include: rising sophomores Taylor Still-Pepper of Zanesville, Ohio and Daniel Eddy of Clarksburg, W.Va. along with rising senior Mimi Albon of Charles Town, W.Va. All are majoring in Visual Communications in the College of Arts and Communication.

The summer curriculum includes classes in Asian calligraphy, illustration, typography, branding, motion graphics and computer film editing. Kang also taught classes in Design Thinking. Guest lecturers, who are successful Korean designers, also shared professional methods and tips with students.

After taking classes at Hanbat University, the students are spending seven days in Seoul, meeting Kang’s family, friends and artists as they make more connections in the world of art. Students enrolled in the summer study also included students from China, England and Spain.

“This study abroad has been fun and educational. So many people in Korea, especially our fellow students, were very generous and kind. We made many friends and learned new skills from our classes and field trips. I really enjoyed learning calligraphy, because it taught me the importance of typography in design and inspired me to incorporate more brush strokes and organic elements into my design,” said Albon.

Students earned six credits from WLU and a certificate from Hanbat, after completing their study. Due to the partnership between the two Universities, tuition and board was at no cost.

“This program is outstanding. What Moon has provided for these young adults is a great opportunity that many would not get under normal circumstances. They are experiencing new cultures, both of Korea as well as that of the other students they are studying with. The field trips to different places are wonderful additions to the classroom,” said Kelli PeaceMaker, Danielle Eddy’s mother.

“Students who attended the Design Camp in the past found it helpful in developing their vision and creative ideas. For example, alumna Rosalie Haizlett was named an Emerging Artist Fellow by the Tamarack Foundation and Courtney Carter won the 2018 Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol poster competition,” Kang said.

Students who traveled abroad will prepare a presentation for campus to enjoy at a later date. Professor Kang is staying on in Korea after the study abroad on sabbatical, creating a new course, User Experience Design and doing further study.

The Visual Communications program is just one of the majors offered in the College of Arts and Communication and for more information, please visit WLU’s Visual Art webpage at westliberty.edu/art.

For more information on Korean study abroad, please contact Kang at mkang@westliberty.edu.

JULY 27, 2018 BY MAUREEN ZAMBITO

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Show runs Aug. 29 – Sept. 20

WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Aug. 24, 2018 — Piece by Piece: A Mash-up of Modern Quilting, Digital Design, and Craft is the title of the art exhibition that opens the Nutting Gallery’s 2018-2019 exhibition season. The show features two artist-sisters, Sarah Davis and Lisa Parker, and the opening reception will take place from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 29.

“As sisters with a mom who was always sewing and teaching us crafts, we grew up with a love of making. We continued our creative practice as adults, me as a Graphic Designer and Lisa as a Modern Quilter. We often talked about working together and organized crafting days during holiday get-togethers. Finally, we found the time and an opportunity to collaborate on a professional level,” said Sarah Davis, WLU assistant professor of Visual Communication Design.

“For this exhibition, we chose to create original fabric designs and textile art displaying individual, as well as collaborative works with process samples and participatory opportunities for guests. By collaborating and learning new skills from one another, we were able to combine and incorporate new techniques with our tried and true practices in digital design, printmaking, sewing, and quilting. As a result, we have created one-of-a-kind works that bridge digital technology and handmade craft.”

Our goal from the beginning was to learn new techniques, enjoy the making process and spend creative time together as sisters. After all, it is the relationships with those we love that bring the most significant rewards and joy to our lives. With this as our motto, we have continued to remind ourselves that the joy is in the making, learning and being together. We hope that each work is infused with our love of craft and our time together.

Davis is interested in exploring visual communication design through cross-disciplinary collaboration and in finding creative solutions by working with experts from different fields of study. Her teaching approach often reflects this philosophy by asking students to interview their intended audience and immerse themselves in the, often, new subjects for which they are designing.

Parker hopes to advance her work as a founding board member of the Indy Modern Quilt Guild in Indianapolis, Ind. She worked with a WLU graphic design student, Megan Bumgardner, to design the group’s logo.

Her quilting group currently sponsors over 50 members and organizes modern quilt shows in the Indianapolis and surrounding regions. Parker also was featured recently in the 2018 QuiltCon magazine, a well-known trade magazine. The article will be on display at this exhibition.

The Nutting Gallery is dedicated to educating, enriching and engaging students and the public through art exhibitions of the highest quality and to promoting the visual arts within the WLU community.

The Gallery fulfills this mission through exhibitions during the academic year. This exhibition schedule includes five exhibitions by visiting artists, two Senior Exhibitions, and the Annual Art Faculty Exhibition.

Show runs Aug. 29 – Sept. 20. The exhibitions are free and open to the public.

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There are six talented artists in this year’s exhibition: Jenny Ball (Woodsfield, Ohio), Jessica Bethel (Mount Pleasant, Ohio), Alyssa Culp (East Liverpool, Ohio), Emily Jessee (Charleston, W.Va.) and Courtney Moore (Martins Ferry), all seniors from art education and graphic design. The senior exhibition offers a diverse look at artistic interpretation.

“There really is no theme for our senior exhibitions because each student develops their own personal capstone experience and develops their own theme. We see all the seniors’ work as a whole today, when we jury it from 4 – 6 p.m.,” explained Robert Villamagna, assistant professor of art and director of the Nutting Gallery.

“After the faculty meets to jury the artwork, we then meet with each student one-on-one, to talk about the work and discuss each student’s capstone project. If we find any problems, we address it but usually the work is pretty good since we meet with them three times during the semester as the work is being done.”

Installation of the juried work then follows tonight and tomorrow. Finally, Villamagna lights the artwork and prepares it for public showing in the Nutting Gallery and the all-important grading by art faculty.

“The senior exhibition is where our students demonstrate their skills, professionalism and creativity. It marks a real transition from student to professional. It’s also a very public display of what they have learned (or are working towards) which puts a lot of pressure on each participating student,” said Brian Fencl, professor of art and chairman of the department.

“Some students create work to be used in their professional portfolios and to find future employment and some use the exhibition to create art for the sake of creating art. Most students put between 125 to 150 hours worth of work into it,” Fencl said.

About 10 years ago, the Senior Exhibition developed into its current comprehensive format, which consists of capstone work, and digital portfolios. The digital portfolios are a complete record of all the art classes each senior completed and the resulting film is shown during the Senior Exhibition.

“It used to be students just entered all and any work, whatever. Now it’s a capstone project, with each senior picking a theme and an individual look, like a group of oil paintings of Wheeling or a series of labels for a particular product. Then each student has the digital portfolio on the movie screen,” Villamagna explained.

“This method offers a more well-rounded view of the students work and allows a complete record of their time here,” he noted.

Communication seniors Brett Cox, Megan Jones and Asia Waggle contributed to this release.

APRIL 17, 2017 BY MAUREEN ZAMBITO

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WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Feb. 23, 2017 — Nothing more effectively demonstrates the value of undergraduate research than the words and stories of the student participants themselves and that’s what Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol is all about.

This year’s display of research takes place from 8:30 a.m. to noon, Friday, Feb. 24 in the West Virginia State Capitol Rotunda. Sixteen WLU students and several professors from a variety of majors will represent WLU at the Capitol.

“We are proud of our student presenters and know that they will represent West Liberty University well,” said WLU President Dr. Stephen Greiner. “Undergraduate research is vital to a successful college experience and this opportunity to show their work to our legislators will be both meaningful and memorable for them.”

Two WLU students in Associate Professor Moonjung Kang’s graphic design class will share marketing ideas with the legislature.

“In my Design Thinking-special project class last semester, the students applied to attend and I’m proud that two of my students’ abstracts and applications were accepted, Megan Sayre and Emily Jessee,” said Kang who is an instructor in the College of Arts and Communication.

Sayre, who is from Parkersburg, W.Va., will present her poster on The Legacy of the Historic Blennerhassett Hotel and how to promote this treasure.

Jessee is from Charleston, W.Va., and will share her infographic Showcasing West Virginia to Promote Tourism, a design piece that features her work and promotes the state.

Caleb Martin, a biology student, is presenting a research poster on the identification of plant and fungal extracts that exhibit antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria. He performs research in the laboratory of Dr. Joseph Horzempa, associate professor of biology.

Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Tifani Fletcher and Associate Professor Dr. Tammy McClain are taking nearly a dozen students to the Capitol. Psychology majors attending include: Sabrina Adams, Kristina Bennett, William Campbell, Moriah Chicoine, Haley Kleindler, Taylor Linn, Alyssa Moran, Kelly Slobodian, Susan Smith, Marshall Tallman and Michelle Yadrick.

Two research posters will be presented by the WLU Psychology Department:

A Breath of Fresh Air: Smoking Status and Lung Capacity Analysis by Moriah Chicoine, Haley Kleinedler, and Professor Tifani Fletcher.
Integration Based Stress Removal Therapy and Perceived Stress Levels by Kelly Slobodian, Moriah Chicoine, and Professor Tifani Fletcher
Two students from the College of Science, Hannah Lynch and Maria Ganoe, will present their research titled “Measurements of the Costal Cartilages: Implications for Facial Reconstructive Surgery.”

“This is very important for nasal reconstructions in particular which is prevalent with nose and nasal septal damage from substance abuse. We worked on this research in conjunction with two medical students, an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) resident, a plastic surgeon, and another anatomist,” said Dr. Matthew Zdilla, associate professor of biology and physician assistant studies.

Directly after the poster session, students and their faculty mentors are invited to lunch at the nearby Women’s Club of Charleston.

Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol is sponsored by West Virginia University, West Virginia State University and Marshall University. This represents the fourteen annual observance of the daylong event.

“It is increasingly important that the West Virginia Higher Education community work to ensure that those in state government, who provide substantial funding for higher education, have a clear understanding of the programs they fund and why these programs are important. Undergraduate research and creative endeavors must be among those programs that members of the West Virginia State Legislature understand if it is to continue to enjoy support,” said Paul Hill, chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.

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The 2017 West Virginia MAD (Media Arts and Design) Festival will take place on the Campus of West Liberty University on Friday, April 7, 2017. It will be a day filled with workshop sessions, professional presentations, and a student media arts awards competition and ceremony. Hundreds of students from dozens of high schools in WV, PA, and OH are expected to participate again this year. Because of the high level of interest in MADFEST, we will be limiting registration this year to 30 students per high school. Be sure to register your students early. Online registration will open on this site on February 1, 2017.

The MAD Festival Competition
Open to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. There will also be a separate competition for all West Liberty University students. Entries will be judged by a panel of professionals in the media arts. See the MADFEST Competition FAQ for more details.

Please visit our MAD Festival site for additional details

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WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Jan. 11, 2017 — The new semester kicks off with the annual Art Faculty Exhibition, entitled The Toy Show. The opening reception will take place from 5:30-7:00 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 18 and is free and open to the public.

This work is by Martyna Matusiak and is called “Played Out.” Medium is dry point print with image transfer.
Art faculty members participating in this year’s exhibition are Sarah Davis, Brian Fencl, James Haizlett, Martyna Matusiak, Moon Jung Kang, Nancy Tirone and Robert Villamagna.

“Each year the Art Faculty Exhibition features a theme. This year the art faculty chose toys as a source of inspiration,” said Villamagna, who is an assistant professor of art and the director of the Nutting Gallery.

“Members of the art faculty have approached the subject of toys in their own way, and in a wide variety of media.” he added.

“Anything can be a toy,” said Davis, an instructor of graphic design. “Sometimes, the less the object has been defined as a toy, the more kids (and adults) will want to play with it. I think this follows the same theory that draws cats to the most allergic person in the room. Whatever we don’t want people (or cats) to play with, they inevitably will.”

“Playing with toys takes us somewhere other than where we are at the moment,” she added. “I think what’s interesting is that objects can become anything through imaginative play. The identity of an object can change depending on our will to use it for something other than that for which it was originally intended.”

“My work for The Toy Show investigates the varied spaces of parenthood, from the joy and comfort to exhaustion and misery,” said Matusiak who is assistant professor of art at WLU where she has taught since 2012.

This work by Villamagna is entitled “Robin Hood at Fort Apache,” is done in repurposed lithographed metal toys, nails, rivets on panel. “It brought back memories from four and a half years ago when my son was born, and then again two years later when my daughter decided to join us. Back then I spent much of my days with no one but my infant to talk to, the two of us crying in tandem. The theme was a perfect trigger for me to reflect on my role as a mom of now a preschooler and a toddler,” Matusiak added.

“We dedicated the month of December to working together on the show. My kids would take photographs that would become inspirations for my prints. We would pay attention to read books and document text or illustrations which could be used in my work. Much of my winter break I spent on the floor playing with trains, superheroes, dolls, blocks and crayons. Working on this body of work was a relieve. It was a family affair. I dare to say, it was fun! It felt strong and simple. It blurred the gap of selfishness of an artist with selflessness of a mother,” Matusiak said.

For his work in The Toy Show, Villamagna used bits and pieces of old toys juxtaposed with a variety of other materials.

“The subject of this exhibition gave me the opportunity to create a series of toys that are more about thinking than actually playing,” Villamagna said. “You might say I’m playing with you, the viewer, as I use toys as a vehicle to explore a variety of subjects. There are threads of nostalgia woven into my constructions, but each piece of work carries it’s own visual narrative that goes beyond the familiar.”

“Having a new theme for the exhibition each year does a number of things,” Villamagna said. “It brings freshness to the annual exhibition, challenges the members of the art faculty and shows students how a diverse group of artists approaches a single problem or idea in unique ways and a variety of media.”

The Toy Show exhibition will remain on display through Feb. 9.

The Nutting Gallery is open 8:30 a.m to 2:30 p.m weekdays, as well as evenings and weekends by arrangement. For additional information, please contact Villamagna at 304-336-8370 or at rvillama@westliberty.edu.

Media Relations Intern Natasha Muhametzyanova contributed to the following release.
JANUARY 11, 2017 BY MAUREEN ZAMBITO

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According to Tamarack Foundation, Emerging Artist Fellows are thriving early-career creatives. They demonstrate not only a superior level of mastery in their craft, but also the aptitude to become successful professionals leading well-managed creative enterprises. Haizlett was selected along with Hannah Lenhart of Fairmont State University. The two students will be part of a program that will include mentoring and training to help transition their academic success into fully-fledged creative careers.

“These fellows represent potential for our state. They are set to become valuable contributors to growing local economies, and leaders of businesses that make communities more desirable places for everyone to live. This program will help to ensure that this is a viable outcome of their work,” said Foundation Executive Director Alissa Novoselick.

The competitive selection process included solicitation of nominees from West Virginian colleges and universities with qualifying arts programs. The fellows were selected by the Foundation’s independent Fellowships Committee from a pool of 17 candidates representing seven schools, including Marshall University; West Virginia University; Fairmont State University; West Virginia Wesleyan College; Shepherd University; West Liberty University; and Glenville State College.

“It was a tough decision. We saw a great deal of talent coming from artists that are sure to have promising careers, certainly some of the best of this next generation. The candidates that we evaluated are producing work that is competitive on a national scale,” said Fellowships Committee member and artist/blacksmith Jeff Fetty.

The Fellowships Committee is comprised of established artists and arts administrators from across the state, including Chris Dutch (Chris Dutch Stained Glass and DUTCHHAMMER); Jeff Fetty (Jeff Fetty Designs); Molly Baker Halstead (Tamarack: The Best of West Virginia); Keith Lahti (Lahti Art Clay Studio); Matthew Thomas (Thomas|Work); and Megan Schultz (formerly Marshall University).

Haizlett specializes in combining sophisticated design with lively, hand-drawn illustrations to create work that is unique and customized to client need. Haizlett is inspired by connecting with people from other cultures and backgrounds and spending time in the stillness of nature. Haizlett also studied abroad in France, Cyprus, and South Korea. Find more about the artist at rosaliehaizlett.com.

For more information on the fellowship program’s benefits and process, please click here.

JULY 15, 2016 BY MAUREEN ZAMBITO

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2016 BY MAUREEN ZAMBITO

WEST LIBERTY, Sept. 5, 2016 — Imagine a tree that thinks that he’s balding as fall takes hold and his leaves begin to drop. Well that’s the storyline of the new children’s book, “Leif’s First Fall,” written and illustrated by two talented alumni, writer Alexander Lloyd King and artist Jeremy Gordon.Leif’s First Fall

“Leif’s First Fall” is a meaningful look at fall and the changing of seasons. Available on Amazon and at other retail sites, the 40-page book is the sixth title for King.

“I’ve been writing professionally for a while and wanted to be a writer even before I could read according to my parents who claim I told them that when I was little,” he said.

A native of Sistersville, W.Va., he earned a bachelor’s in communications with emphasis on broadcasting in 2011 and currently works fulltime a substance abuse specialist for Tyler County. King also is the director of Middlebourne Parks and Recreation on a part-time basis.

His other books include three poetry books and two short story collections. Like most writers, he is an acute observer of life, people and nature and the idea for “Leif’s First Fall” came to him when he was driving.

“I was driving home from work one autumn day and thinking about the leaves falling. Wouldn’t it be funny if a tree thought it was balding and tried to cover it up? The tree might do a comb over or try to hide it because it doesn’t know what’s going on,” he explained. (He also knows that many men in his family go bald.)

Leif the tree is a maple tree that lives in a park location and as summer wanes and falls kicks in, he learns about changes and talks to the other tree a wise elder tree and learns the ways of nature and how to deal with change. Everyone goes through changes throughout life is the moral of the tale.

“Reaction has been great so far,” said King. The book sells for $17 for paperback and $30 for hardback.

“I was very pleased with the finished project. It wouldn’t look so great without Jeremy’s artwork. He did a fantastic job and he’s very diverse in his skills,” King said.

King met illustrator Jeremy Gordon who’s from New Martinsville, W.Va., right here on campus. “I knew he was talented. He liked my concept for the book and the draft developed from there.”

Gordon resides in Sebastian, Fla. now and has collaborated with King three times before. He earned his bachelor’s in graphic design and is a freelance illustrator there.

“West Liberty University taught me so much about broadcasting and writing,” King said. “I’m very grateful for my education on the hilltop.”

King is already at work on his next book, a novel for adults that is a twist on a haunted house story.

“I hope to have it ready next year.”

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The event will take place in the Alumni Room, College Union and is being coordinated by Associate Professor of Art Moonjung Kang, a native of Korea who has taught at WLU since fall 2009 in the College of Arts and Communication.

“This partnership is growing and I want all students to be aware of the opportunity it offers to study abroad and benefit from the exchange of knowledge between our university and a national university in the Republic of Korea,” she said. “It is not just for graphic design majors and art students.”

Kang will discuss her recent study abroad during Summer 2016. Four graphic design students: Jenny Ball, Courtney Carter, MariChris Pangilinan and Rosalie A. Haizlett, who traveled with her for study also will be part of the presentation. The students will share their experience and resulting work with campus.

Professor Kang will also share her plans on exchange students joining campus on the Hilltop and update everyone on her efforts.

Most importantly, this is a chance for any student of any discipline or any professor to inquire about details on this new chance to study abroad in South Korea.

For more information, please see the March 24 press release that announced the Hanbat University partnership last spring or call Professor Kang at 304.336.8531.

OCTOBER 20, 2016 BY MAUREEN ZAMBITO

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