Weber State University Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery Names New Director

OGDEN, Utah, May 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery at Weber State University (www.weber.edu/shawgallery) today announced Lydia Gravis will join the gallery as its new director. The Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery is Northern Utah's premier venue for contemporary art exhibitions and educational programs that provide visitors access to the art of our times. 

"Lydia is a highly respected educator who to date, has successfully been connecting art and audiences through a variety of outreach programs in Northern Utah," said Madonne Miner, Dean of the Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities. "Education is core to the Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery's mission, and our college looks forward to working with Lydia to further the momentum and reach of our programming for visitors of all ages – in classrooms, in the Ogden community and throughout Utah."

As the new director of the Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery, Gravis will have two main areas of responsibility: planning and executing eight exhibitions a year and coordinating the visiting artist program. Gravis will also engage with the community in educational opportunities that stem from exhibitions and visiting artists. The director is also tasked with the management of the permanent collection and the gallery facilities.

"The job of a gallery director is not only that of research, selection and implementation in terms of exhibition programming and management, but also to act as a bridge between gallery visitors and exhibitions," said Lydia Gravis, director of the Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery. "My primary aim is to introduce impactful and engaging exhibitions that have both initial wonder, and lasting resonance with visitors of all ages.  Wonder can be achieved through the sensorial experience of the artwork and the design of the exhibition within a gallery space. Resonance emerges from exhibition content, historical context and supporting programs.  Both elements should work in unison to intrigue visitors and leave a lasting impression."

A native of Spokane, Washington, Gravis received her B.A. with a dual major in Visual Arts and Human Studies from Warren Wilson College in North Carolina and her M.F.A. in Visual Arts from the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University.

For a full calendar of current and upcoming events at the Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery please visit (www.weber.edu/shawgallery). Gallery hours are Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday the gallery is closed. 

About the Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery
The Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw gallery aspires to engage a diverse audience, create a sense of community, provide insight into the creative process, and challenge visitors to contemplate, discuss and understand the historical, social, and cultural context of contemporary art. It serves the Department of Visual Arts, Weber State University and the community of Northern Utah by presenting the work of local, regional, and nationally recognized artists, including new work, emerging media and original scholarship.

About the Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities
The Weber State University Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities teaches students to excel as they seek, understand, question and express complexities critical to the experience of being human. The Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities offers five degree programs in the following areas: Communication, English, Foreign Language, Performing Arts and Visual Arts. Master's degrees also are offered in Communication and English. The college serves nearly 2,000 undergraduate majors and 200 graduate students. The Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities is the Western region's foremost institution for student-centered teaching and research that investigates the human experience and aims to educate global citizens who are responsible, creative and critical artists, performers and communicators. For more information please visit (www.weber.edu/cah) or online at (www.facebook.com/WSUartsandhumanities).

News Release Contact:
Christie Denniston, APR
Director of Marketing and PR Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities
Phone: 801-626-6431
Mobile: 303-827-5164
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Weber State University, Lindquist College of Arts and Humanities