This article is from the EMU News Archive. The approximate date of publication was in August 2003. Current EMU news is available at www.emu.edu/news

TO EMU HEADLINE NEWS | VIENNA CROSS-CULTURAL

Viennese Artist to Exhibit at EMU

An artist based in Vienna, Austria with connections to Eastern Mennonite University will display her paintings at the first public gallery show of the new school year at EMU.

Maria Consuelo Vargas de Speiss - who goes by the professional name MACON- will exhibit works on the theme, "Integration," in the third floor art gallery of EMU's Hartzler Library starting Sunday, Aug. 31.

For the past three years, the language and literature department at EMU has taken students to Vienna in May to study German at ActiLingua Academy. The spring of 2003, a cross-cultural group spent most of the semester in Vienna.

A significant contact for the EMU groups has been the Wien-Penzing Mennonite Church in Vienna, where they learned to know the artist.

A native of Colombia, South America, and married to an Austrian engineer, MACON "draws from her life's experiences in producing evocative, powerful visual statements," according to Ervie L. Glick, professor of German at EMU.

"Using broad and colorful brush strokes, MACON captures the deep-seated emotions of the emigrant/immigrant," Dr. Glick said. "Her statements are universal, equally true for immigrants to our own community of Harrisonburg as well as for migrants everywhere in today's world. All immigrants seek integration - culturally, socially, psychologically and emotionally."

The artist will be present for an opening reception 2:30-4 p.m. Aug. 31,and will give a gallery talk during this time. The exhibit will be open for viewing daily during regular library hours free of charge through Sept. 26.

 

Posted: August 6, 2003