“Prairie Images: The Way I See It” is an upcoming art exhibit at the Cullis Wade Depot Art Gallery at Mississippi State featuring watercolors by area artist Frances Hairston. The name is inspired by her many years living in the Black Prairie.
An opening reception Thursday, May 19 from 5-6:30 p.m. welcomes the public to view Hairston’s observations that reveal a love of the land, native trees and a wide variety of wildflowers.
“What I do in my paintings is to document nature and ways of farming, and even old buildings,” said Hairston. “So many of these things are being lost; I want to preserve these images in my paintings.”
Hairston grew up in the Mississippi Delta but has lived in the Crawford area for more than 50 years. She graduated from Mississippi State College for Women (now Mississippi University for Women) in 1961, but went back to school and graduated with an art degree in 2013. Her work has been accepted into the Bi-State Art Competition in Meridian, the Cotton District Art competition and into the Collegiate Show. As a student, she won honorary mention in the Kappa Pi International Art competition.
Following Hairston’s September 2015 exhibit at the Columbus Arts Council’s Rosenzweig Arts Center, viewer comments included “Looks just like the prairie” and “Your paintings are amazing! I can actually feel your love for the prairie; it comes out in your art.”
Six new paintings have been added to the collection since that show.
The Cullis Wade Depot gallery in the MSU Welcome Center is located next to Barnes and Noble on MSU’s campus. All are invited to Thursday’s reception. The exhibit officially opens Monday and will be up through July 22. Summer gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
The exhibition is organized by the MSU Department of Art in the College of Architecture, Art and Design.
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