[351] New MTSU student art exhibit tells viewers it’s ‘YOUR MOVE’ with hands-on approach

MURFREESBORO — Most art galleries discourage viewers touching the exhibits, but a new interactive display of student works at MTSU is asking art lovers to stop, look and collaborate.

“You Show Me Yours, I’ll Show You Mine: YOUR MOVE," which opens Wednesday, Feb. 5, with a free public 3-4:30 p.m. reception in MTSU's Todd Art Gallery, is organized by students in the Drawing III class taught by assistant professor Melissa Newman.

All Todd Gallery exhibitions and events are always free and open to the public. A searchable campus map with parking notes is available at http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParkingMap13-14.

“The premise of the exhibit is that each gallery attendee be invited to participate in a collaborative drawing event located in Todd Art Gallery 210," Newman explained.

Drawing III student Russell White said visitors "will be expected to contribute to existing drawings or even begin a new one. It is our hope that through the combination of different subject matters and techniques, new ideas will be created that could never come from a single artist.”

The collaborations will remain in progress until the exhibit ends Friday, Feb. 14. The resulting works will be donated to the Department of Art’s annual sale benefiting student scholarships.

“Having shared authorship will hopefully allow for more creative freedom and playfulness than what is typically found in the more traditional academic drawing classes,” Newman said.

Along with White, students involved in the “YOUR MOVE” exhibit are Kyle Baker, Kayla Connelly, Aubrey Griggs, Lauren Hughes, Tabitha Leathers, Justin Lessard, Travis Luna, AJ Martin Stills, Carlos Paredes, Erin Potter, Morgan Rotenberry, Alisa Stoll, Andrew Turner, Tucker Webb, Sienna Williams and Noelle Yeargins.

MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends and state and university holidays.

For more information, including parking and directions, contact Todd Art Gallery Director Eric Snyder at 615-898-5653 or eric.snyder@mtsu.edu or visit http://www.mtsu.edu/art.