HIGH PLAINS JAMBOREE” EXHIBITION OPENS AT BINGHAM GALLERY

Location: Fine Arts Building, Room A125. 505 Hitt Street, Columbia, MO 65211

EXHIBITION DATES: OCTOBER 21-NOVEMBER 13, 2019
OPENING RECEPTION & ARTIST TALK: MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 4:30-6:30PM (TALK AT 5PM)

Bingham Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of High Plains Jamboree, a collaboration of both two and three-dimensional work between Jacob Salazar of Lubbock, TX and MU alum Ian Shelly of Macomb, IL.

Singer/songwriter and sculptor, Terry Allen’s seminal album from 1979, Lubbock on Everything, paints a vivid picture of a place and time that is at the heart of any Lubbockite’s ancestry and culture. While in its 38th year of print, this music’s reverent and irreverent spirit is something that Salazar and Shelly have sought to emulate in their exhibition, High Plains Jamboree. This work is serious and playful, sarcastic and sincere, and a dutiful nod to a bygone era of West Texas strength, prestige, and southern hospitality. All of which fell into noticeable decay during the late 80’s through today. This exhibition will serve to reflect the duality seen in West Texas landscapes and landmarks. It is an account by two artists raised in a Lubbock, TX miasma- two artists raised in a culture and landscape of both recessive austerity and expansive beauty.

Ian Shelly is an Assistant Professor of Art and head of Ceramics at Western Illinois University. He graduated with a BFA in ceramics from Texas Tech University and received his MFA from the University of Missouri. Ian is an artist and educator utilizing all media and heritage in the canon of western art and craft. His background in ceramic vessel making and his interests in weapons manufacturing and childhood touchstones drives his subject matter toward humorous and sometimes haunting permutations and outcomes. Ian’s work has been featured in numerous venues around the country as well as publications within the field of ceramics.

Jacob Salazar lives in Lubbock, TX where he is a bit of a cultural phenomenon. In addition to being a prolific artist, he is a chef and has significant experience as a museum technician and in high-end art installation.