Houston Community College Southwest 

Fine Arts and Speech Department, Gender Studies Club, & Student Life Office,

in conjunction with the South by Southwest Faculty Art Exhibit Exchange

present

 

                                     

Upon Closer Inspection                           Secret                                               The Transfusion

 

 

Phyllis Evans,

Professor, South Texas College Art Department

 

 
 
                “A Diversity of Interests,

                   Influences, & Obsessions”

                                     A slide/lecture presentation of the artist’s work

 

                                                       Wednesday, February 21, 7:00 PM

                                 West Loop Auditorium, 5601 West Loop South

                            Houston, TX.

 

&

 
 
           “Body Art”      

    Slide presentation & discussion on various Western &

     Non-Western practices focusing on social, cultural, &

                                 individual choices

 

           Friday, February 23, 11:00 AM

       Scarcella Center, 10141 Cash Road, Room W102

                                      Stafford, TX

 

Admission is free for both events. For more information and directions, call the Southwest College Art Department at 713-718-7700.

 

 

Adobe Systems                                                                      

 

Board of Trustees: Yolanda Navarro Flores, Bruce Austin, James R. Murphy, Diane Olmos guzman, Jay K. Aiyer, Dr. Michael P. Williams, Abel Davila, Christopher W. Oliver, Richard Schechter, Interim chancellor Norm Nielsen, Ph.D.; Interim President Winston Dahse,;  Academic Dean Neal Tannanhill, Ph. D., Dean of student Activities James Shippy.  Houston Community College System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

 

 

About Our Guest Artist, Phyllis Evans

 

An artist since childhood, Phyllis Evans grew up near Houston and spent a much of her youth drawing and painting. She explored various art forms through her college years including graphic design, sculpture, drawing, and painting. This diverse experience informs the mixed-media works she now makes. With a B. A. in Visual Art and Applied Design from UH-Clear Lake in 1990, Evans enrolled in post-baccalaureate studies at UH-Main Campus studying sculpture, drawing, and printmaking. In 1996 she received an M. A. in Drawing from Sam Houston State University.  She earned an M. F. A. in Painting from West Virginia University in 1999. Her true emphasis, however, was digital imaging.

 

Evans, who sees herself as a teacher at heart, always wanted to teach at the college level. She considers teaching to be equal in importance to her studio work. She currently teaches Art Appreciation, Art History, Drawing, Design, and Digital Art at South Texas College in McAllen, Texas. “I enjoy my students very much and delight in their personal and artistic growth. I believe I draw much of my own artistic inspiration from the creative energy in the environment where I teach.”  Evans sustains a rigorous studio practice. Her interests in drawing, painting, photography, digital imaging, and art history all come together in her mixed media works.

 

Phyllis Evans derives her creative inspiration from living in South Texas in the Greater Rio Grande Valley. This region, situated on both a geographical and cultural border, is, to an outsider, a strange and wonderful place. More people speak Spanish than English, and if one is not bi-lingual one experiences a slight disadvantage. In the past four years, Evans has witnessed, learned about, and become a part of the unique culture that exists along the edges of these distinctly different worlds. This vibrant region has a surprisingly active arts community of which she is proud to be a member. “I have seen my work change in subtle ways in the years I have lived in South Texas. I hope to continue to see the unique qualities of this border community reflected in my work.”

 

Evans is exhibiting with her colleagues from South Texas College in McAllen in the South by Southwest Faculty Exchange Exhibit which opens on Thursday, February 22 at the Southwest College Annex Gallery, from 6-8 PM, and closes on March 22 at 5 PM. The Exchange was proposed by Richard Lubben, Chair of Arts and Communication at South Texas College. Lubben taught for several semester for the Art Department of Southwest College and was also the Exhibit Coordinator during his tenure at HCC. We welcome his new colleagues to our gallery and look forward to the return of an old friend.

 

About Her Presentations, both of which are free and open to students, faculty, and the public:

 

Wednesday, February 21, 7:00 PM, West Loop Auditorium, 5601 West Loop South: 

“Phyllis Evans: A Diversity of Interests, Influences, and Obsessions”

This lecture is based on work done over the past 10 years or so. The imagery has changed, but the same themes keep cycling in and out. One idea leads to another. Evans will talk about the creative process and how unexpected and seemingly insignificant aspects of the work can open doors to something quite important. She will show her successes as well as the “not so successful.” The emphasis is on the creative process and the value of everything an artist does in his or her studio practice. “I think sometimes the failures in the studio are important because of the ability to lead to successes.” She will include a mini-art history lesson showing the influences from Baroque to Neo-Expressionism, from the Spanish Colonial to Pop, from Dada and Surrealism to 19th century graphic design. We will see the influence of Mexican kitsch and vintage post cards. Themes range from personal to political, social to cultural, exploring inter-human behaviors, oppression, gender, and class inequities, and the subversion of meaning through irrational juxtapositions of forms. Technical issues of the work process will also be addressed. Evans’ work is a mixed media combination of drawing, digital, encaustic, and oil paint.

 

Friday, February 23, 11:00 AM, Scarcella Center, Room 102W, 10141 Cash Road, Stafford, TX:

“Body Art”

Although this lecture is primarily geared toward art students, those in Gender and Women’s Studies, Literature, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, History, Political Science, Anatomy and Physiology, Philosophy, Humanities, and many other areas of study might find the topic fascinating. Evans discusses all forms of body adornment and manipulation including non-invasive practices like cosmetics and body painting, to invasive practices which consist of hard tissue manipulation including bone elongation, amputation, and cosmetic surgery. Tattooing, scarification, and piercing are the soft tissue manipulations addressed. She focuses on the social/cultural/individual reasons for engaging in these practices. The biggest emphasis is on comparing Western and Non-Western practices and how the motivations differ. Phyllis Evans will be open to questions and discussion during the presentation.