Spiva Art Gallery exhibition to explore ‘A Solitary Year’

 Joplin, MO – Artist and educator Sharon Harper will present “A Solitary Year,” a solo exhibition that will open Wednesday, May 18, in the Spiva Art Gallery at Missouri Southern State University.

An artist talk will be offered at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 16, in Webster Hall’s Auditorium followed by a gallery reception.

Harper, who is from Springfield, Mo., has rooted her work as a visual artist in personal narrative – always involving the immediate issues of life, both internally and externally. Death, the solitude of the pandemic, family relationships and aging are among the themes explored in “A Solitary Year.”

Her works utilize a variety of media including different types of paper, graphite, ink, colored pencil, and fabrics.

She is a professor emeritus of art and design at Missouri State University and has had her work featured in hundreds of exhibitions. She has received numerous awards as well as artist residencies, including with Truro Center for the Arts, Ucross Foundation, the Virginia Center for Creative Arts and Prairie Center for the Arts.

Harper’s talk on June 16 – the final day of the show – will be streamed live via Zoom:

https://mssu-edu.zoom.us/j/91808937464?pwd=YStCUXZCTHc0QTdFNllzUytOQzM0dz09

Passcode: 857705

Spiva Art Gallery’s summer hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Admission is free and open to the public.