The colorful, complex works of Colorado sculptor Sean O’Meallie are on display March 17-April 2 at MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery in a special new exhibit, “Pause & Affect: The Curious Playthings of Sean O’Meallie.”

Sean O’Meallie

O’Meallie,whose colorful, complex works reflect his tenure as an internationally recognized toy inventor, most recently had his work on display in the Todd Gallery as the President’s Award winner of 2011’s “12” X 12”: A National Juried Exhibition of Small Scale Works of Art.”

Whimsical projects like Colorado sculptor Sean O’Meallie’s 2008 “Got a Handle on It Circus” are on display at MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery March 17-April 2.

“I spent 10 years inventing toy concepts for the international market,” O’Meallie said, “and any of the things I observed as an object conceptualist appealing to pre-linguistic children and wary parents are now part of my art making, such as involuntary modes of visual perception and the likelihood of a viewer’s cultural predisposition.

“I play with these things, usually in recombinant and disruptive ways, with the goal of rearranging the furniture in one’s head in new, surprising ways.”

Todd Gallery director Eric Snyder noted that O’Meallie’s “flair for messing with one’s head has led to a prolific career. Many of his artworks are housed in numerous public, private and museum collections, and it’s not uncommon for his creations to be found on tour somewhere in the United States and Europe at any time.”

O’Meallie’s work is included in the university-level art and design textbook “Launching the Imagination: A Comprehensive Guide to Basic Design.” A 20-foot bronze sculpture of an abstract cowboy in downtown Denver, “Cowboy Pajamas,” is one of his career highlights.

He also is the creator of “The Manitou Chair Project,” a 2011 half-mile-long outdoor installation that involved the people, townscape and possessions of the entire town of Manitou Springs, Colorado.

Like all Todd Art Gallery events, the exhibit is free and open to the public. The Todd 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 about O’Meallie’s work, visit his website at http://seanomeallie.com. You also can watch a video featuring his 2013 New Orleans exhibit below.

For more information about MTSU Arts, which presents a full slate of art, theater and music offerings at the university each year, visit www.mtsuarts.com.

For more information about MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery, including parking and directions, contact gallery director Snyder at 615-898-5653 or eric.snyder@mtsu.edu or visit www.mtsu.edu/art. You also can find a campus parking map at http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParking14-15.

— Gina E. Fann (gina.fann@mtsu.edu)

Works like this 2006 sculpture in wood and polychrome, “Varieties of Potato Arranged in Grid,” by Colorado sculptor Sean O’Meallie are on display at MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery March 17-April 2.