The Peter Herdic House restaurant will be hosting an art exhibit by Lycoming College student Elizabeth Hughes from Oct. 29 – Nov. 28. The exhibit is free and open to the public. A reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 6.
The exhibit, called “Struggle,” explores the opposition and division of lives, within an individual framework and with a larger social context. The prints in this collection reflect a preoccupation with inner struggle and how it is projected socially and personally. The subject matter deals with longing, physical separation, and disappointment and how to combat or work with the ensuing loneliness. Much of the imagery draws from folk patterning and design from Eastern Europe, tempered by influences from other historic styles.
Growing up, Elizabeth Hughes was surrounded by Eastern Orthodox Christian iconography. The remnants of her Ukrainian ethnic heritage through Pysanki eggs, matryoshka, palekh lacquer miniatures, and embroidery influenced her interest in folk art and crafts.
“The languages of folk art and orthodox iconography are such an important part of expressing myself as an artist,” Hughes said. “The designs, images, and styles in these art forms are the foundation on which I build visual poetry. More than just an image, art conveys a message and a feeling.”
The exhibit contains prints made with hand-cut blocks, a traditional print method that naturally results in the art form’s characteristic irregularities.
Elizabeth Hughes is currently a senior undergraduate painting and printmaking major at Lycoming College who works in the Lycoming College Costume Shop.