The 2017 West Virginia MAD (Media Arts and Design) FestivalĚýwill 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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Art faculty members participating in this year’s exhibition are Sarah Davis, Brian Fencl, James Haizlett, Martyna Matusiak, Moon Jung Kang, Rebecca Kiger, Lee Ann Thill, Nancy Tirone, Lambros Tsuhlares and Robert Villamagna. In addition, Dr. Matthew D. Harder, interim dean, College of Arts and Communication, will present a sound installation based on the exhibition theme.

“Each year the Art Faculty Exhibition features a theme and this year the art faculty selected the theme of “6 X 6 X 6,” said Gallery Director Robert Villamagna. “Artworks in the exhibition may be of any media and on any subject, however, each work must be no larger than six inches in any direction.”

“Having a new theme for the exhibition each year does a number of things,” he noted, “It brings a freshness to the annual exhibition, it challenges the members of the art faculty, and it shows students how a diverse group of artists each approach a single problem or idea each in their own unique way and in a variety of media. This year the “theme” is based on size.”

Here are just a few examples of what visitors to the exhibition will see:

Associate Professor of Creative Arts Therapy Lee Ann Thill explores the physical properties of paint as a metaphor for disease processes, combining it with collage imagery to illuminate the underlying mechanisms of the exploitation of The Other. Her work represents a visual commentary on interconnected social diseases that plague our culture.

Instructor of Graphic Design Sarah Davis created “Nest: The DNA of Making,” a composite of photographs of hand-made paper nests that explore our natural desire to mate and how animals (including humans) can develop and inherit ways of making that become coded within our DNA.

A sketchbook is normally a pad of blank pages for sketching. In Professor Villamagna’s “Sketchbook” the pages are individual 6”x6” pieces of wood, and each page contains images in a variety of media. Like a traditional sketchbook, Villamagna’s pages will be a documentation of the world around him, while other pages explore his creative process.

All exhibitions at the Nutting Gallery are free and open to the public and the gallery is open 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays; with evenings and weekends by arrangement. For additional information contact Villamagna at 304-336-8370 or at rvillama@westliberty.edu

JANUARY 16, 2015 BY MAUREEN ZAMBITO
Poster design by Sara Davis

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The art they created is varied and interesting, offering everything from a comic strip like artwork to interactive graphic design images with audio, video and sculpture. “This is one of the best senior shows we’ve had in a while. The students worked hard and I congratulate them on the result,” said Assistant Professor of Art Robert Villamagna, who is the director of the Nutting Gallery. All students created a formal artist statement to go with their artwork.

“The world is a very chaotic place. We are constantly in motion, at times eager to catch our breath. Sometimes it is easy to overlook the beauty of the world and to take for granted the wonder of life. I believe my job, as an artist, is to capture a moment, a memory, even a thought so that it can stand still and be appreciated without limits,” said Natalie Rees. Rees believes all art is a gift and allows her to create memories that will not fade. She is donating all money made from the sale of her art in the exhibition to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org).

Artist Lindsey Fair created work that explores the theme of body image on social and personal levels. “It is truly unfortunate that our society’s standards of beauty is heavily directed and pressured by impossible beauty ideals… My artwork takes a critical view of the social views by which women’s body image is influenced,” Fair said. Using a variety of materials and processes in each piece of art, she creates a consistent message.

Student artist Miranda Pellicano created images that reveal personal values or ideals, created in mixed media pieces. “The collage of concepts, techniques and materials acts as an effective medium to showcase the growth I’ve experienced not only with this show, but also as a designer and artist,” Pellicano said.

Another student created a compelling and funny video about his student experience on the Hilltop. “Mine was a video self-portrait that looked at my time on campus. I tried to bring in student experiences and show my journey. Hopefully it’s entertaining and enjoyable,” said Fauble, who stars in the video that is just over nine minutes long. The only male artist in the show, Fauble graduates on Dec. 13 with a degree in graphic design.Ěý

The exhibition remains on display through Friday, Dec. 12. The Nutting Gallery is located in the Media Arts Center building and 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 eight exhibitions during the academic year. The annual exhibition schedule includes five exhibitions by visiting artists, two Senior Exhibitions, and the Annual Art Faculty Exhibition.

The exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, please contact rvillama@westliberty.edu or call 304-336-8370.

DECEMBER 8, 2014 BY MAUREEN ZAMBITO

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Maria Mangano is an artist whose work focuses on the intersection of nature, museums, and science to address issues of wildness, conservation, memory, and humanness. A native of Syracuse, NY, Mangano moved to Pittsburgh to attend Carnegie Mellon University. More of her work can be found on her website

Randy Yoho of Kanawha County, WV is an award of excellence winner from the West Virginia Division of Culture and adjunct lecturer in art around the Charleston area. His oversized woodcut prints focus on line reminiscent of topographical maps and are impressive for their scale and amount of labor involved.

Mission
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 our community. The Gallery fulfills this mission through eight exhibitions during the academic year. This exhibition schedule includes five exhibitions by visiting artists, two Senior Exhibitions, and the Annual Art Faculty Exhibition. The Nutting Gallery is also dedicated to supporting the educational and cultural mission of West Liberty University. These offerings are supported by the Department of Art and Communications, and guided by the Gallery Director.

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A group of WLU graphic design professors and senior graphic design students spent five days in Portland, Oregon for West Liberty’s first Design Week trip. The group, consisting of professors James Haizlett, Moonjung Kang, and Sarah Davis, and senior graphic design students Sydney Bennett, Jessica Wilson, Chloe Woods, and Miranda Pellicano, left for Portland on Saturday, Oct. 4 and came back on Wednesday, Oct. 8.

Design Week Portland was a weeklong event highlighting arts and design in Portland, Oregon, including graphic arts, photography, architecture, fashion, and film, Associate Professor of Graphic Design James Haizlett said. This was the first time that the graphic design program took students to Design Week, but each year, a different US city hosts the event. WLU’s graphic design program hopes to offer the trip every year from now on to graduating seniors.

Each morning of Design Week, Haizlett said, the group would start out at a central hub in the middle of Portland, where they would plan their activities for the day. Some of their many activities included, he said, “free exhibitions, studio tours, environmental installations, and social gatherings with other designers.” They also attended seminars and gallery openings, and toured art museums and exhibits. One of the most important things that the students were able to do while in Portland, though, according to senior graphic design major Miranda Pellicano, was networking and gaining professional graphic design contacts. “The Portland designers opened up their doors,” she said, “and we took the opportunity to take a step in.” Student Sydney Bennett agreed. “We reached out and networked with people clear across the country,” she said. “That is huge in this field.”

Though West Liberty’s art department has taken other trips in the past, this is the first one to focus specifically on graphic design. According to Associate Professor of Graphic Design Moonjung Kang, they host a trip to New York City every March, but that trip, she said, is “mainly about experiencing fine arts.” She added, “All the graphic design major students in our department start their studies with their artistic talent and joy of drawing. But when their studies get serious they really need to gain and collect more of the real life experience from existing and current graphic design fields.” This trip, then, aimed to teach the students about art but also about the real, professional world of graphic design. From the perspective of the students who went on the trip, Design Week Portland more than exceeded those goals, serving as an inspiration for their designs and their careers after graduation.

“I know I speak for everyone in the group,” student Chloe Woods said, “when I say that Portland really had an effect on us. Design is everywhere, but design is alive and well in Portland, Oregon. Out of all the incredible lessons, knowing that my passion for design is shared and encouraged by so many people who believe in it themselves is a great feeling.” Sydney Bennett agreed. “We honestly experienced design in every form it could have possibly been in, and it made me so excited to design new things and I’ve already started. It was like it created this jolt of energy in my design portion of my brain, and I can’t wait to take everything in and just create, create, create!”

Miranda Pellicano said, “I gained so much more enlightenment as to what graphic design is, how it’s used, how I want to use it, and more. [The trip] really solidified my passion and direction in design and art.” Jessica Wilson added, “The people there are so full of life and are really passionate about their work,” she said. “Just walking down the street and seeing beautiful design has me ten times more excited that I chose this field. I’m extremely fortunate to have had this amazing opportunity.”

The professors got a lot out of the Design Week experience, as well. Haizlett was amazed and exhilarated by the “unique design aesthetic” in Portland, adding that the best word to describe the city, and their trip there, is “quality.” According to Haizlett, those who went on the trip will be designing and producing a booklet to document their trip to Portland, which he hopes will become a series of booklets as the trips continue in years to come. The booklet will be available for viewing at the Elbin Library and the art department.

Ěý

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Every fall, West Liberty University College of Arts and Communication graphic design seniors have a chance to experience the challenge of presenting their work to a discriminating audience.

The design presentation took place in the Boyle Conference Room from noon until 1 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 17.

From left, Sydney Bennett, Jessica Wilson, Kylie Woyat, Chloe Woods, Alexis Irvin, Lucas Fauble, Miranda Pelicano, Elizabeth Pabst and Carly Jochumsen pose after the competition.

During the competition, student teams present their own team corporate identities as they prepare to do “business” with campus and community organizations. The teams provide examples of their past work and compete in packaging themselves as the strongest design team to the audience.

Student team names and members include:

Ebb and Flow Ink – Alexis Irvin, Miranda Pelicano and Chloe Woods.
Ethøs – Sydney Bennett, Jessica Wilson and Kylie Woyat.
We Must Design – Lucas Fauble, Carly Jochumsen and Elizabeth Pabst.

“This is a great chance for students to practice their communications skills and hone their message in front of a professional audience comprised of campus faculty, administration, and community leaders. It’s their first milestone on the way to working with real clients on community projects throughout the semester,” said Associate Professor James Haizlett.

Audience members were given scorecards to grade the students on their presentations and are given the opportunity to provide valuable critique. Haizlett then tallied up the votes to select the winning student team.

Audience members were given scorecards to grade the students on their presentations and are given the opportunity to provide valuable critique. Haizlett then tallied up the votes to select the winning student team, which was Ethøs. Team members from the winning group of students were from the towns of: Sydney Bennett, Follansbee, W.Va., Jessica Wilson, Mount Hope, W.Va. and Kylie Woyat, Norton, Ohio.

WLU graphic design program is a member of the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), the professional association for design. Established in 1988, AIGA Pittsburgh has more than 450 members.

For more information on the West Liberty University graphic design program, please visit: westliberty.edu/art or contact Haizlett at 304-336-8077.

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The Nutting Gallery is located in the Hall of Fine Arts on the campus of West Liberty University in West Liberty, WV. All exhibitions at the Nutting Gallery are free and open to the public. The gallery is open 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM weekdays; evenings and weekends by arrangement. For additional information contact Robert Villamagna at 304-336-8370 or at rvillama@westliberty.edu

Mission
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 our community. The Gallery fulfills this mission through eight exhibitions during the academic year. This exhibition schedule includes five exhibitions by visiting artists, two Senior Exhibitions, and the Annual Art Faculty Exhibition. The Nutting Gallery is also dedicated to supporting the educational and cultural mission of West Liberty University. These offerings are supported by the Department of Art and Communications, and guided by the Gallery Director.

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Jamey Biggs grew up in Summersville, West Virginia. Biggs holds a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and a Bachelor of Science in Art education. He completed an MFA in Ceramics at Indiana State University in 2003. Biggs is an Associate Professor of Art at Concord University where he has instructed Ceramics and Sculpture for 10 years. Jamey’s work is primarily ceramic, addressing both sculptural and utilitarian purposes.

“I first saw Jamey’s work in a Facebook post that Lambros Tsuhlares shared with me a while back, “ said Robert Villamagna, Director of the Nutting Gallery. “The post was a photo of a Tonka-like truck made of clay. That ceramic truck took me back to the 1950s and 60s when I spent hours playing with the metal construction toys made by Buddy L and Tonka. I love the way Jamey exaggerates the components of these vehicles, and makes them even chunkier and heartier than the originals,” says Villamagna.

“I began making the trucks in 2012 for an exhibition curated by Robert Moore and Christine Humphrey in Beckley WV,’ states Biggs. “I was interested in creating work that would be light hearted in its expression and allow me to be light hearted during its creation. I was hoping to create work that was not explicitly related to my own experience and did not require a great deal of explanation for a viewer to find interest. I hoped that the idea of a toy truck was something that would elicit a response in most people with out consideration for age or background.”
Biggs says he felt it was also time for a change in his firing process. “I was looking for a relief from the wood firing that I had been doing,” states Biggs. “The wood fire process requires huge amounts of labor on the firing and is inherently very risky and slow. The earthenware fired in oxidation using an electric kiln could not be more opposite of firing in a wood kiln. The trucks do not reject the craft and utility aspects of ceramics but they do poke a bit of fun. The trucks are after all, functioning planters.”
Biggs says that he hopes the first thing the viewers take away from his work is a smile. “First and foremost the work is playful, says Biggs,. “I hope the piles of materials can evoke connections to hospitality, abundance, and humor. I consider the concept of abundance to be a good thing and it is connected to positive emotions, responses and behaviors. The idea of abundance is also connected to notions of scarcity and waste. I am curious to see if viewers find that this is evoked by the work or not.”
Jamey Biggs will also be presenting a four-hour workshop on Thursday, September 25, from 4 to 8 PM. A limited number of spaces for participants are available. Contact Robert Villamagna for more information.
All exhibitions at the Nutting Gallery are free and open to the public. The Nutting Gallery is open 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM weekdays; evenings and weekends by arrangement. For additional information contact Robert Villamagna at 304-336-8370 or at rvillama@westliberty.edu

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ARTWORKSĚýAround Town, Ogelbay Institute and West Liberty University invites all artists to participate in the second annual Paint Historic Wheeling plein air painting event, August 1-3 in downtown Wheeling, West Virginia. The weekend includes an exciting schedule of workshops with leading regional plein air artists, and public art shows and sales held at ARTWORKS around town in Centre Market. Additional event information and artist registration forms can be on the .

Wheeling’s charming neighborhoods feature plenty of inspiration, from downtown streetscapes and unique architectural structures, to rural landscapes, waterways, and gardens. Artists are invited to paint anywhere in the city including Victorian Old Town, the historic Centre Market district and along the scenic river front of the Ohio at Heritage Port.

Artist and author Chuck Marshall will be West Liberty’s special guest for the 2014 Paint Historic Wheeling. He will discussing his work, inspirations and methods at the artist kick-off party on Friday August 1st at 6:30PM. The presentation is free and open to the public. He will also be conducting a free plein air demo at Centre Market in Wheeling at 9AM on Saturday August 2nd. Both events will take place at ARTWORKSĚýAround Town in Center Market in Wheeling. Here is a PDF copy of an article Chuck wrote for .

Artist Bio– Chuck Marshall (Charles W. Marshall, Jr.) was born and raised in Ohio. He grew up in the very small town of New Antioch, about 7 miles outside of Wilmington.

The surrounding area was known for its agriculture – mainly hogs and corn. So Chuck grew up working farms and spending time in his father’s construction trade, but from a very early age Chuck knew he wanted to do something different with his life – he knew he was going to be an artist. He would spend hours each day sketching images of fields and hillsides that he would see while roaming the countryside.
When in high school Chuck was fortunate enough to have an art teacher that cared about young artistic minds and introduced Chuck to all forms of art.
Chuck went on to attended one year at the Cincinnati Art Academy before moving to southern California, where he studied at the California Art Institute. While out west he studied with various artists that worked in the Southwest and California Plein Air styles. (Plein Air is a French term meaning to paint from life, or on location.)
At that time in Chuck’s early career, his focus was on wildlife and the landscapes he loved so much. When he could, he would go outside to paint. Although family obligations didn’t leave much time for Chuck to dedicate himself to his art, he was still able to find enough success in his paintings to keep him inspired as an artist.
Throughout his career, Chuck has also worked as an illustrator and graphic designer. His illustrations have been featured in magazines, books, popcorn tins, as well as prints and greeting cards. His fine art has been published in International Artist and American Artist Magazine. Chuck has won numerous awards and has also performed as a judge in juried art competitions. His work hangs in many private and corporate collections, and he has been asked to demonstrate his craft for art groups, teaching both illustration and fine art classes. He is a member of many art groups local and national.
Today his art has taken a turn more towards the elements of art than the subject matter. Shapes, values, edges, line, color, and so on attract his eye more now. He feels great painting comes from that and not how well you can draw an object.

Chuck’s art is a direct reflection of his love of art, nature and life itself.

Chuck Marshall’s participation at the 2014 Paint Historic Wheeling is is supported by the Arts and Ideas fund and West Liberty’s College of Arts and Communication.

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West Liberty University’s Nutting Gallery presents the annual Art Faculty Exhibition Jan. 22 – Feb. 13, 2014. The entertaining exhibition will open with a reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 22 and the public is welcome to attend.

Art faculty members participating in this year’s exhibition are Sarah Davis, Brian Fencl, James Haizlett, Martyna Matusiak, Moon Jung Kang, Nancy Tirone, Lambros Tsuhlares, Robert Villamagna and Neal Warren.
“Each year the Art Faculty Exhibition features a theme and this year the art faculty selected the theme of dogs,” said Gallery Director Robert Villamagna.
“The dictionary defines dog as a domesticated carnivorous mammal that typically has a long snout, an acute sense of smell, and a barking, howling or whining voice.”
“The works in The Dog Show will cover a wide range of media including drawing, painting, mixed media, digital, construction, photography and installation. The faculty has worked their fingers to the bone in preparing for this exhibition, so it should prove to be a doggone good show.”

“Having a new theme for the exhibition each year does a number of things,” he added.
“It brings a freshness to the annual exhibition, it challenges the members of the art faculty, and it shows students how a diverse group of artists each approach a single problem or idea, each in their own unique way and in a variety of media.”
Plus, dogs are hugely popular and according to the , every dog has a distinct personality based on its breed. The AKC counts 178 breeds of man’s best friend now available.
The Department of Visual Arts is housed in the College of Arts and Communication and is led by college dean, Dr. William Baronak. There are currently more than 275 students enrolled in programs housed in the College of Arts and Communication.
The programs within the College have enjoyed growth in student enrollment by more than 20 percent over the last five years. For complete information, visit westliberty.edu/art.
All exhibitions at the Nutting Gallery are free and open to the public. The Nutting Gallery is open 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. weekdays; evenings and weekends by arrangement.
For additional information contact Robert Villamagna at 304-336-8370 or atĚýrvillama@westliberty.edu

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