January 26, 2012 (Jackson) - The Student Invitational Art Exhibition will showcase a variety of artwork from Belhaven freshmen to seniors from the Visual Art Department. Students are working hard and around the clock to have their work picked to be on display for the art premiere.

The opening reception for this popular and highly anticipated art exhibition will be at the Gallery in Bitsy Irby Visual Arts and Dance Center on Saturday, February 11 from 2:00-4:00 P.M.

Dr. Melissa Hause, Associate Professor of Art History and Dean of the Honors College, said, “The Belhaven faculty are thrilled to observe the students’ growth and artistic maturity in the works submitted for exhibition in this annual student show.”

This annual exhibition of student works highlight a wide range of styles and media including drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media. Admission is free to the art exhibition.

”This student exhibition is the culmination of the Visual Art Department’s annual Practicum period, a part of the year when visual arts majors engage in concentrated, individualized pursuit of an authentic art-making process. Through intensive mentoring by faculty, the students use Practicum to deepen their immersion in their chosen media, learn and practice sustained artistic focus, and identify their individual voice as an artist,” adds Dr. Hause.