6 November "Red, White, and You" currently on display in ICC gallery November 6, 2024 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 Now through Dec. 4, Itawamba Community College will host “Red, White, and You,” an exhibition of the work of Jackson artist Ming Donkey in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center gallery on the Fulton Campus. The exhibit is a multi-media installation combining wall hangings, video and audio media. In the artist’s words, “Red, White and You” offers a visual exploration of contemporary capitalism’s impact on community and identity in America. The title references the American flag, symbolizing freedom and liberty, while reflecting on the ways emotions are manipulated and desires manufactured in our society. In a world increasingly divided into opposing factions, we find ourselves grappling with a growing sense of disconnection and alienation.” According to the artist, the core of this exhibit is Ming’s worker character, an “everyman” avatar representing the nameless individuals who collectively seek their own version of Niagara – a metaphor for escape from our current realities, pursued by any means necessary. This figure highlights the excesses of a capitalistic culture and evokes Huxley’s notion of ‘soma,’ a distraction many embrace in their relentless search for fulfillment. By employing marketing strategies and production techniques such as banding and commercial printing, this exhibit underscores the relationship between form and concept. Through these methods, Ming challenges us to confront the complexities of our consumer-driven existence.” Ming Donkey, the moniker of Jayson Ming Triplett, is an interdisciplinary installation and performance artist and musician from Mississippi, a region rich in contradictions. His installations seamlessly blend diverse artistic mediums, techniques and genres, drawing inspiration from his experiences as a touring musician within vibrant DIY and Punk Rock communities. Ming’s work intricately weaves together rural and urban elements, bridging past and present. He is particularly intrigued by marketing strategies and their political implications, which he explores in his ongoing series, “The Continuing Ballard of Franco the Kid,” examining the effects of contemporary capitalism on community and identity. His educational background includes a BFA with a dual focus in studio art and graphic design and an MFA in electronic visualization. He has taught at Mississippi State University, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Jackson Public Schools and has worked as a graphic artist and illustrator for the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Mississippi State University. His artistic practice has led to numerous exhibitions and performances at local, regional and national venues, including prominent international art conferences such as Atlanta’s Living Walls. Recognized for his contributions to public art projects, Ming has received awards and commissions from across various sectors, including retail, film and events. His work has been featured in respected publications such as Thrasher, Number: Inc and Juxtapoz. As a musician, Ming has shared the stage with a diverse array of artists, including Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives and the English Punk Band, Subhumans. He participated in a music residency during Columbia’s True/False Film Festival and has been highlighted as a songwriter in a Visit Mississippi Tourism campaign. Gallery hours at 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Admission is free. For more information, contact Shawn Whittington at eswhittington@iccms.edu or (662) 862-8301. Related Articles Mississippi Painters Society art currently on display in ICC Gallery A collection of paintings by the Mississippi Painters Society is currently on display in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center Gallery on the Itawamba Community College Fulton Campus. The exhibit consists of 35 works in watercolor, oil, acrylic and mixed media. Subject matter ranges from still life to landscapes and portraits to abstract art. Members of the MSP include Shirley Hill, Rhonda Grammer, Alfred Jones, Karen Jones, John Armistead, Jerry Jones, Jane Sutton, Daphne Works, all of Tupelo; Lee Waltress, Robbie Boyd, both of Pontotoc; Elizabeth and Vernon Chase, both of Baldwyn; Sarah Beckham of Belden and Melissa Byrd of Fulton. Almost all works are for sale. The exhibit will continue to May 5. Admission is free. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, contact Shawn Whittington at eswhittington@iccms.edu or call (662) 862-8301. Work of 94-year-old Virginia Jackson, one of ICC's first students, currently on display in Fine Arts Center Gallery “The Gift of Life,” a collection of paintings by 94-year-old Virginia Jackson of Tupelo, is currently on display in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center Gallery at the Itawamba Community College Fulton Campus. The show includes Jackson’s acrylic paintings of landscapes and country scenes as well as two acrylic paintings by her granddaughter, Morgan Davis. Jackson’s first recollection of an interest in art was when she received a box of Crayola crayons at the age of five. She recalls coloring the embossed flowers on doilies (small napkins or decorative mats), but she didn’t start painting until the age of 91 when her daughter, Jill Jackson King, bought her a set of acrylic paints. She describes herself as self-taught and paints most scenes from memory. Most of her paintings are landscape scenes of farm life and “pretty flowers,” but she experiments with abstracts, also. She was born Virginia Anthony in 1929 in her family’s home outside of Tremont. Her father built their house and raised crops, cattle and hogs on their farm during the Great Depression. Growing up, she ... Armistead work currently on display in ICC gallery The 2019 fall opening exhibition at the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center gallery at the Itawamba Community College Fulton Campus features the paintings of John Armistead of Tupelo. Currently on display through Sept. 19, ‘Remembrance of Things Past’ is a collection of oils and watercolors depicting primarily rural landscapes of surrounding North Mississippi counties as well as a few portraits. Armistead, a Presbyterian minister, is an award-winning artist, author and journalist. He holds degrees from Mississippi College (B.A.), the University of Mississippi (M.A. in Classical Greek and Latin), Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (D.Min. in Theology and History) He has also studied at The Graduate Theological Union of Berkeley, Sorrento Lingue International Language Institute in Sorrento, Italy, the Art Students League of New York and the National Academy of Design in New York. Armistead began formal studio training in Mobile, Ala. when he was eight years old, working in pastels and oils. He continued art studies through college and participated in master's classes taught by Everett Raymond Kinstler at the Lyme Academy of Fine ... Summerford work on display in ICC Gallery The watercolor paintings of Fulton artist Laura Summerford will be on display through Dec. 7 at the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center gallery at the Itawamba Community College Fulton Campus. Entitled “Southern Rust and Decay,” the exhibit includes 24 paintings featuring familiar Southern icons and images of the city of Fulton. “I was born into a family of artistic ability,” Summerford said. “My parents were very creative and nurtured that spirit in my brother and me. This atmosphere helped to mold my future in the art field. From the time that I picked up my favorite red crayon, I was hooked. I would have rather draw and color than anything else.” Summerford began to watercolor while majoring in graphic art at ICC. “The softness of the medium mesmerized me over the harshness that oils and acrylics possess. I had an instant love for watercolors. While continuing her studies at Mississippi University for Women, she found watercolors to be her choice medium. “The light washes allow for many layers of color to show through ... Work of Victoria Cummings-Bobo now on display in ICC gallery The work of Victoria Cummings-Bobo is currently on display in the gallery of the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center at the Fulton Camps. The exhibition titled “Enchanted Child’s Dream,” which features a collection of oil, acrylic and mixed media pieces to commemorate Black History Month, will be on display until Mar. 31. Bobo’s work uses household items or something nature provides to tell colorful and vibrant stories. Her work ranges from miniature models, which reflect everyday people to vibrant paintings and statuesque colorful objects. She combines her art and her faith by using adorned mannequins to teach Sunday School classes at New Temple Baptist Church. Bobo’s love of the arts has included poetry, acting and playing the piano. After a time in New York City, she returned to Dorsey in 1987, and in 1988, Bobo and her sister, Dr. Ormella Cummings, formed We Amend Minds-By-Action, an organization devoted to introducing cultural activities and enrichment programs to young people and adults in Itawamba County and the surrounding area. She and her husband, Forrest, ... ICC student art competition currently on display at the Fulton Campus Itawamba Community College’s Student Art Competition is currently on display in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center gallery at the Fulton Campus. Works from a variety of media including drawings, paintings, sculpture, ceramics and computer art are included. The show will be juried by Tom Douglas, former member of the ICC Art faculty. The show includes works by Owen Beasley, Makenzie Nevins, both of Amory; Karol Arias-Little, Cayden Rogers, both of Belden; Breanna Isaac of Choctaw; Bree Ana Bennett, Lexi Grant, Keyelle Holder, Aiden Hunter, Emily Tibbs, all of Fulton; Versie Lucille Laher of Glen; Vega Taylor of Greenwood Springs; Alli Porter of Guntown; Meradith Gaudet of Hamilton; Dakota Fuller of Milton, Fla.; Monserrat Garcia, Micah Hatfield, both of Mooreville; Jackson Bynum of Nettleton; Taylor Babbitt of Plantersville; Connor Coker, Micahela Lopez, Mak Masters, Isaiah Pannell, Emily Sauerwein, Jamarion Shannon, David Tucker, all of Pontotoc; Ahmad Cox of Prairie; Molly Pennington, Sebastian Raines, Abby Roberts, all of Saltillo; Christopher Smith of Shannon; Kylee Rafnson of Southaven; Jarques Madison of Starkville; Sarah Brown, Kali Dalton, both of Tremont; Charles Crayton, ... Comments are closed.