Fractured Art Exhibition opens Thursday at Marietta College's Gallery 310

by Tom Perry

Marietta, Ohio (02/01/2023) — The Marietta College Art Department is pleased to present "Fractured," a two-person exhibition by photographer and Professor Emerita of Columbus College of Art and Design, Helen Hoffelt, and fiber artist and Dean Emerita of Columbus College of Art and Design, Char Norman. The show will be on display in Gallery 310, from February 2nd through April 6th, with an artist reception from 4:00-5:30 p.m., Friday, March 17th. There will also be an artist gallery talk from 4:30-5:00 p.m. The talk is in-person only.

Fractured is a collaborative mixed-media installation project based on the idea that natural forces affect and reflect the human condition. This collection of two-dimensional and three-dimensional works addresses environmental issues related to local communities.

The artists have traveled extensively together, gathering inspiration and materials from the environment. This current body of work results from visits and research in the southern Ohio region around Marietta and the Wayne National Forest. The natural beauty and resources of the area are contrasted with energy-producing industries, including petroleum refining, coal, oil drilling, and fracking. The effect these industries and resulting toxic materials have on the local environmental conditions is weighed against the economic and energy needs of the community. The artists worked closely with Marietta College Professor and Environmental Engineering, Petroleum Engineering & Geology Department Chair Ben Ebenhack, researching industries and practices in the region.

Gallery 310 is located on the third floor of the Hermann Fine Arts Center. Gallery hours are 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on Thursdays, or by appointment at gallery310@marietta.edu. Gallery 310 observes all Marietta College holidays and breaks. All exhibitions and receptions are free and open to the public.

Located in Marietta, Ohio, at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, Marietta College is a four-year liberal arts college. Tracing its roots to the Muskingum Academy back in 1797, the College was officially chartered in 1835. Today Marietta College serves a body of 1,200 full-time students. The College offers more than 50 majors and is consistently ranked as one of the top regional comprehensive colleges by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review, as well as one of the nation's best by Forbes.com. Marietta was selected seventh in the nation according to the Brookings Institution's rankings of colleges by their highest value added, regardless of major.

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