CONWAY, Ark. (July 22, 2009) – Matthew Lopas, assistant professor of art, will exhibit his work at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary (MAC) gallery in Dallas. The show “Panoramic Interiors,” which will run September 5 through October 10, welcomes viewers into the spaces in which Lopas dwells, sharing an intimate part of his life.
The exhibit was set up by Hendrix alumna Emily Cheek ‘03, who serves as gallery coordinator for The MAC.
“I've never been more excited about an exhibit in the years I've been at the gallery,” Cheek said. “Matthew was a favorite professor of mine and extremely influential to me and my college experience. His work is unbelievable, the way he's able to create space and invite the viewer into his private interiors.”
Lopas has more than a decade of experience painting the interiors that surround him, which he said have an almost mythic quality.
“My current sunlit paintings offer a place for spirits to rest and the mind to soar,” he said. “Sunlight streams in; objects glow in its glory or nestle in its shadows. One can find an almost enclosed space and sit in a comfortable chair, pet a cat, feel the warmth of sunlight, and then let the mind's eye get lost in trees and clouds.”
Lopas’ use of line, light, and color capture physical and emotional qualities of each space. Distorted perspectives stretch the canvas and bring to life a vast space, which Lopas describes as “nearly infinite … the space of reverie.”
Lopas holds a B.A. in Arts and Ideas/Chinese Studies from the University of Michigan, a B.F.A. in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and an M.F.A from Yale School of Art.
Established in 1994, The MAC is a nonprofit organization that stands as a Dallas advocate for creative freedom, offering the opportunity for experimentation and presentation of art in all disciplines.
Hendrix, founded in 1876, is an undergraduate liberal arts college emphasizing experiential learning in a demanding yet supportive environment. The college is among 165 colleges featured in the 2009 edition of the Princeton Review America’s Best Value Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.
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