The exhibition will open with a curator’s talk by artist Jeff Blandford on Friday, Nov. 13, at 4 p.m. in Cook Auditorium of the De Pree Art Center and Gallery, with a reception following in the gallery from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The public is invited to the exhibition, curator’s talk and reception.  Admission is free.

The competitive exhibition, open to all students at Hope, is an annual fixture in the De Pree Art Center and Gallery.  Each year, the Department of Art and Art History invites a recognized artist or curator to judge the student work.

Guest juror Jeff Blandford is a ceramicist, glass blower and gallery owner.  After earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Michigan State University in 2007, Blandford continued producing and selling artwork created in his barn-studio before opening Jeff Blandford Gallery in Saugatuck, Michigan, earlier this year.  His ceramics and glasswork emphasize materials, simple forms, and an accessible aesthetic.  In his artist’s statement, Blandford writes, “It is easy to become stagnant as an artist—settling with what we know and the works we are comfortable making.  I make a conscious effort in my studio to bend the rules and push the boundaries of materials. This leads me into new and exciting territory.”

The gallery of the De Pree Art Center and Gallery is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.  The gallery will be closed on Thursday-Sunday, Nov. 26-29, because of the Thanksgiving holiday.

The De Pree Art Center and Gallery is located at 160 E. 12th St., on Columbia Avenue at 12th Street.

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