FAU University Galleries presents ‘SouthXeast: Contemporary Art Triennial’
By Dale King
The University Galleries in Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters presents the sixth edition of “SouthXeast: Contemporary Art Triennial” through Saturday, March 4 in the Ritter Art Gallery and through Saturday, March 11 in the Schmidt Center Gallery and Public Space, 777 Glades Road on the Boca Raton campus.
An opening reception, including hors d’oeuvres and drinks, took place Jan. 27.
The “SouthXeast: Contemporary Art Triennial” follows a legacy initiated by retired director Rod Faulds at FAU in 2005.
Curated by Véronique Côté, this year’s display of regional talent is created through the team efforts of FAU student workers and recent graduates. As a professional training ground for future museum professionals, this year’s production highlights an impressive roster of 30 artists selected through referrals from various regional institutions across the southeastern United States.
A sense of longing for home, reconciliation with an alienating past and connection with nature permeates this exhibition. The Americana aesthetic brought about by recycled materials and found objects paired with surreal, constructed flora and fauna form a striking visual of this generation’s concerns for ancestral healing and ecological stewardship.
Through an almost manic impulse for assemblage, these artists yearn to heal from a traumatic past, connect with deeper values, and honor their elders while building a hopeful future. They create contemporary totems asking a timeless question: is it just me?
FAU University Galleries is open Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. School and group tours can be scheduled by appointment by contacting Helen Edmunds at UGMuseumEd@fau.edu.
The Schmidt Center Gallery is located in the Performing Arts building (Building 51), near the Living Room Theaters. Daytime visitors must obtain a temporary one-day parking pass online for $5 at http://parking.fau.edu to park in Parking Garage 2 for Schmidt Center Gallery. Metered parking in the lot just north of the entrance to Parking Garage 2 is available via the ParkMobile app with credit or debit card payment.
The 2022-23 University Galleries exhibitions and programs are supported by the Isadore and Kelly Friedman University Galleries Fund and sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts. Museum education programs are made possible by the Kaye Arts Integration Endowment.
For more information, call 561-297-2661, email vcote@fau.edu or visit www.fau.edu/galleries.
