Distinguished Irish artist and sculptor Ross Wilson is visiting John Brown University during the coming week and is opening a new exhibit on Nov. 1, "The Calling of Lazarus -- 60 Portraits," that he created specifically for the university.
Wilson will give a gallery talk at the opening reception for the exhibit from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, at the Windgate Art Gallery. He is also scheduled to speak in chapel at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, and will present "Vincent: A journey inside the world of Vincent van Gogh," about the spiritual journey of the famous artist at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, in Simmons Great Hall.
In addition, Wilson will be speaking at an assembly for all visual arts majors and will be a guest in individual art classes throughout his visit, according to Bobby Martin, visual arts professor and gallery director.
Wilson has been a visiting speaker at Harvard, Wheaton, Oxford and Cambridge Universities and the National Portrait Gallery London, according to a press release from the university. His commissions include Nobel Laureates Seamus Heaney and Derek Walcott for the National Portrait Gallery in London and sculpture commissions for the CS Lewis Centenary Sculpture East Belfast and the Titanic Yardmen Sculpture.
Wilson has been honored by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth with the British Empire Medal for services to charity and outreach work among underprivileged communities in Northern Ireland, the release states.
"It's very rare to have an artist of his international stature here on campus, much less to have access to him," Martin said.
Wilson loves to talk to young artists and just having access to him will be inspirational for JBU students, Martin said.
"I hope all our students take advantage of him being here because it is a really rare opportunity," Martin said.
Wilson spent the summer working on the exhibit for JBU, Martin said. The 60 portraits in "The Calling of Lazarus," are symbolic of the 60 seconds that would have framed the miracle call of Jesus, which consisted only of a name and two words: "Lazarus, come out," according to Wilson's artist statement.
Wilson states the portraits show Lazarus at the point of animation, resurrection and at the moment he hears the voice of life, the voice of his friend Jesus.
"Jesus Christ unlocked the doors of death for his friend Lazarus by calling him into life," said Wilson. "A call that Jesus Christ still makes today through his gospel, calling souls from the darkness of death and sin into the sweet, sweet liberty of grace, life and salvation."
The 60 portraits will be hung in order around the gallery, showing Lazarus' face as it remolds and transforms into life, Martin said. Wilson is also working with an animator to sew all the portraits into a short video that will be shown at the end of the gallery, Martin said.
"We are super honored that he would create this show because he is coming here," Martin said.
Since Wilson started working on the exhibit, he has received several offers and opportunities to travel the show, but it is going to premier at JBU, Martin said.
"We are really excited about the fact that he did this show just for JBU and we get to be the first ones to debut it," he said.
The Windgate Gallery is located in the Windgate Visual Arts West building on the JBU campus in Siloam Springs. The exhibit will run through Dec. 15.
For additional information about the JBU Windgate Gallery, go to www.jbu.edu/art/gallery or contact Jeannie Abbott at [email protected].
General News on 10/30/2019