CANYON, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – Officials from the art department at West Texas A&M University recently released information about the department’s new exhibit, showing the impact of the landscape of the Texas Panhandle on a new professor at the university.
Anna K. Lemnitzer’s first art exhibition will be on view Thursday, January 27 through February 19 at the Dord Fitz Formal Gallery at Mary Moody Northen Hall, located on Canyon University’s campus. A vernissage of the exhibition is scheduled for Thursday at 5 p.m.
The exhibit will feature works inspired by Lemnitzer’s early months of life in the Texas Panhandle, including the region’s wide open spaces as well as the Palo Duro Canyon. According to the statement, Lemnitzer, who started in the fall as an assistant professor of art and design at the university, previously lived in Pennsylvania, Montana, Arizona and Oregon.
“I feel like it’s magic, really, and it became a challenge when I moved here,” Lemnitzer said in the statement. “I knew I should become bigger than before – bigger in my opinions, my outlook.”
Lemnitzer said in the statement that she was drawn to the “intensity” of the natural environment as well as various common occurrences throughout the Texas Panhandle, including tumbleweeds and brown recluse spiders.
“I have a giant window in my bedroom so I see these beautiful sunrise colors,” she said in the statement. “I’m usually inspired by the people around me, their behaviors or their personalities. It’s been a long time since I’ve been inspired to create art on a location, so it’s been a lot of fun for me.
Jon Revett, Doris Alexander Emeritus Professor of Fine Arts and director of the university’s arts program, said the artwork showcases the impact the area has already had on Lemnitzer.
“When Anna first arrived, I told her she would be surprised how much living in this area would affect her art,” Revett said in the statement. “I told her it would be interesting to see what her work will look like in five years, and I see that she has already reacted immediately to her new surroundings.”
The gallery is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, the statement said. The gallery is also open by appointment on Fridays and Saturdays. Individuals are asked to email jrevett@wtamu.edu for more information.
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