Working in groups of two and three, MTSU’s art faculty and staff have combined their talents to create the opening exhibit of the fall 2013 semester for the MTSU Department of Art’s Todd Art Gallery.

Scheduled Aug. 29–Sept. 19, the exhibit features works in multiple media, including ceramics and video. An opening reception is planned in the gallery inside Todd Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 28, from 5 to 7 p.m.

The first Todd Art Gallery exhibit at MTSU for fall 2013, “Collaborative Spirit: An Art Faculty Exhibit,” opens Aug. 29 and includes, left to right, “Mixed Signals” by Erin Anfinson and Kathleen O’Connell, “Bunny Shaman” by John Donovan and Charles Clary and “Rishaw-Hairston” by Ashley Hairston and Rick Rishaw.

The pairings in the new exhibit include Noël Lorson, an assistant professor of graphic design and vice president for Nashville’s chapter of the professional design association AIGA, and Marisa Recchia, an associate professor of art specializing in ceramics.

The team came up with an interactive satirical take on Tombola, an Italian version of bingo that features common scatological euphemisms. Lorson did the graphic design for the game board and cards, while Recchia made the playing pieces from clay.

Ashley Hairston, an assistant professor of graphic design and illustration, worked with Rick Rishaw, the department’s gallery preparator and woodshop supervisor, to developed an interesting multimedia collaboration.

“Our installation revolves around reconciling first and second impressions, of what is said and what is implied, using both verbal repetition and visual allegory,” Rishaw said.

The artistic team of Erin Anfinson, an associate professor of art in foundations, and Kathleen O’Connell, assistant professor in book arts, letterpress, and two-dimensional design, described their joint effort as a shared appreciation for the fine line between whimsical and formal.

“Together we found ourselves imagining: What would happen if something interrupts the flow (of information)?” Anfinson explained, answering, “a playful look at something horrifying.”

Todd Art Gallery exhibitions and receptions are always free and open to the public. The gallery is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and is closed on state and university holidays.

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