MSU kicks off art gallery season with exhibition by Professor Emeritus Brent Funderburk
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擬ississippi State鈥檚 Department of Art is opening its 2021-22 gallery season with an exhibition of works by a respected professor who served the university for nearly 36 years.
Professor Emeritus Brent Funderburk will showcase watercolor creations in 鈥淗ere and There: Paintings and Drawings 鈥 1981-2021,鈥 on display Aug. 17-Sept. 17 at MSU鈥檚 Cullis Wade Depot Art Gallery, second floor, MSU Welcome Center, 75 B.S. Hood Drive. Viewing hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday.
Admission is free to the month-long exhibition, as well as a Sept. 9 public reception, 5-7 p.m., at the gallery.
The gallery will hold special Saturday hours for audiences to view the exhibition:
鈥擜ug. 28, Noon-2 p.m.
鈥擲ept. 4, 1-3 p.m.
鈥擲ept. 11, 4-6 p.m.
Funderburk聽plans for proceeds from the sale of artwork in the exhibition聽to be made as聽a donation to the art department. To purchase artwork in the exhibition, contact Funderburk at聽bfunderburk@caad.msstate.edu.
Lori Neuenfeldt, MSU art instructor and gallery director, said the Department of Art looks forward to welcoming visitors, especially new students and faculty, to an exhibition of 鈥渋ncredible鈥 work by an internationally recognized artist.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 think of a better way to express our appreciation for Professor Funderburk than with a show celebrating his early work from the 1980s through his most recent pieces finished in the past three years,鈥 she said. 鈥淏y coming to the exhibition, our visitors will be part of something special.鈥
A North Carolina native, Funderburk retired in 2018 after almost four decades in the state鈥檚 largest undergraduate studio art program, including service as department head and fine arts thesis coordinator.
During his MSU career, Funderburk was honored with the university鈥檚 John Grisham Faculty Excellence, Burlington Northern Teaching Excellence and Ralph E. Powe Research Excellence awards. The William L. Giles Distinguished Professor was named a 2016 Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award recipient.
Funderburk鈥檚 paintings have been featured in national and international exhibitions. He is one of four artists featured this summer in the Watercolor Artist article 鈥淚nspiration in Bloom.鈥 His painting 鈥淪oul House (Blue)鈥 was featured in June in Artists Magazine鈥檚 annual competition publication SPLASH 22 鈥 The Best of Watercolor.
A fine arts graduate of East Carolina University, Funderburk was named official artist for the Jackson-based USA International Ballet Competition in 2010. For additional biographical information, visit .
In addition to art, MSU鈥檚 College of Architecture, Art and Design offers bachelor鈥檚 degrees in building construction science and interior design, as well as the state鈥檚 only professional architecture degree accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board. Learn more at .
MSU is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .