Stephanie Smither, who became interested in folk art while traveling in Africa a decade ago, is curator of the show, which is sponsored by the Sam Houston State University art department. Its location is the Gaddis Geeslin Gallery, in the SHSU art department's Building F on the southwest corner of the SHSU campus. The show opens with a reception from 5-7 p.m. Thursday and runs through April 24. The gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Admission is free.
The exhibition will also introduce folk art to the 7th grade history classes in Huntsville. The students will view the exhibition and then be guided through an art-making process based on folk art tradition. Sandra Linderman of the art department staff is project coordinator for the school program. She has since visited many of the artists represented in the exhibition, investigating their backgrounds and the experiences that produced their imaginative outpourings. Featured artists in addition to Swearingen include Eddie Arning, John Banks, Hector Benevides, Henry Ray Clark, Patrick Davis, Carl Dixon, Ezekiel Gibbs, Mark C. Greene, Reverend Johnny Hunter, Frank Jones, Ike Morgan, Semone Robinson, Isaac Smith, David Strickland and Tom Tarrer.