SAAC to Host Reception for Artist Jay Shinn

“Step Forward/Stand Back” exhibit by artist Jay Shinn showing in the Merkle and Prices Galleries at the South Arkansas Arts Center.
“Step Forward/Stand Back” exhibit by artist Jay Shinn showing in the Merkle and Prices Galleries at the South Arkansas Arts Center.

The South Arkansas Arts Center will host a reception for visual artist Jay Shinn on Saturday, July 24 at 6:00 p.m. in the Merkle and Price Galleries. Shinn is an internationally known artist who originally hails from Magnolia, and now divides his time between Dallas, New York, and Berlin. His exhibition entitled “Step Forward/Stand Back,” includes large-scale graphic abstract paintings, as well as several works incorporating elements of neon light.

The exhibition can be viewed at SAAC Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. through the closing reception on July 24. Many of the pieces were specifically created for the exhibition, to maximize the drama between the paintings and the dark background of SAAC’s gallery spaces.

“When I first considered exhibiting at SAAC, I only remembered the small gallery that was here when I was young,” Shinn said. “I was so excited to see the full scope of the space, and very inspired by the dark walls.”

Shinn, who was born in Magnolia and took some of his earliest art classes at SAAC, received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and is an alumnus of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Known for his large-scale public art light installations of projection paintings and neon, Shinn has spent his career exploring minimal geometric abstraction through color and light. His works are in many private and public collections worldwide including Houston’s Intercontinental Airport and Hobby Airport; Dallas Fort Worth International Airport; Texas A&M University’s Zachary School of Engineering Education Complex; and the Kansas City Chief’s Arrowhead Stadium.

The exhibition may be viewed between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the South Arkansas Arts Center, 110 E. 5th St., El Dorado. For more information, call 870-862-5474, or visit our website at www.saac-arts.org.

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