November 16, 2007
Life experiences permeate an upcoming sabbatical art exhibit by Lois Misegadis, visual arts professor and chair of the Visual Arts department at Hesston College. Her exhibit, titled “The Visitors,” opens Monday, November 19, in the Hesston College Gallery, located in Smith Center on the college campus. The exhibit runs through December 14.
A reception with Misegadis is scheduled for 4-5 p.m. Friday, November 24 in the college gallery.
Misegadis spent her 2006-07 sabbatical year in her studio at the college, at home in Newton, and in France and Italy. “I visited the Louvre for the first time,” she said. “It had a major impact on me. The visit was an exhilarating experience, one I want to repeat again and again.
“While in Paris, I met with a college friend from graduate school days,” she continued. “He lives in Paris and is involved in art in a major way. He’s had two- and three-dimensional exhibits in Paris in the last two to three years.”
Misegadis said a number of things triggered “The Visitors” exhibit during her sabbatical. “One was the opportunity to reflect on major events and significant experiences in my life,” she said. “I also became very ill when I had severe reactions because of chemical sensitivities.”
“I went on a personal search for why this was happening and for the cause,” she said. “It stimulated a lot of reflection on the cause and what I could do to make it better. I found I could manage my thought process to improve my situation and to detoxify.”
“I have learned that healing is a process in which one must actively participate in one’s own well-being, which suggests an invitation rather than an admonishment,” she said. “The artwork in this exhibit represents an investigation into the numerous aspects of wellness and wholeness of the mind, body, and spirit.”
Misegadis said her journey of healing was initiated by her past work in mental health. “The idea for ‘The Visitors’ first occurred when I realized how affected I was by my own history with some people I encountered,” she explained. “A knee-jerk reaction to past experiences often affects responses and behaviors. A confidante suggested I invite these visitors (triggered memories) to sit and have a conversation with me rather than attempting to ignore them.
“These visitors help me focus on areas that need attention,” Misegadis said. “Like a nosey neighbor keeping an eye on the whole neighborhood, these visitors have become a sort of ‘neighborhood watch,’ providing valued information as to what needs attention.
“I have been fortunate to work in art therapy, which has been both instructive and rewarding. As a mental health worker in the past, serving in a prison for severely mentally ill inmates, I had the opportunity to be a part of the healing process of long forgotten scars and pain for a number of inmates. The memories of some of the people I worked with in the prison are some of the visitors who show up to influence my art.
“As an artist, my life experiences and those episodes, including the illness that occurred during my sabbatical, culminated in this art work,” she said. The exhibit contains prints, paintings, a large mural, and “several surprise pieces.” Combining her favorite materials of graphite, conte crayons, paint, and other media creates an interesting texture that can be seen in her artwork. Titles of some of her works include Brain Power, Inner Workings, The Porch, How To Do Time, Back Tension, and Mike’s Work.
“The sabbatical offered me an opportunity to filter my life experiences and bring them into focus in a deeper way,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to do this, but until my sabbatical, I hadn’t had time to synthesize my experiences.”
“Going into some of my art therapy work, like what I did for the Kansas Department of Corrections, I knew the experiences would change me and I was eager to know how it would affect me,” she said. “However, it took a long time for me to figure out the results of that experience and still occasionally I have new insights. It’s hard to express with words much of the experience. I hope the artwork in this exhibit can begin to express what words cannot.
“It’s my hope that the viewer can engage with the artwork,” she said, “and that it will trigger something significant or meaningful for them in their own experiences.”
Misegadis expressed her thanks and gratitude to Dr. Howard Keim (Hesston College president) and to Hesston College “for granting my sabbatical and for their continuing support of the visual arts.” She has taught visual arts at the college since 1999.
Misegadis was born and raised in western Kansas to parents who were part of the Protestant work ethic, where producing a product to show for your time was of utmost importance. She was encouraged by her family from an early age to explore and develop her interest and talent in art, and the artwork itself was a test to her time well spent.
In college, Misegadis pursued an art education with additional course work in anatomy, which was helpful for her interest in portraits and figure drawing. Through bachelor’s, master’s and MFA (master of fine arts from Fort Hayes State University, Hays, Kan.) studies, she gained skills in drawing, painting, and printmaking.
Her upbringing also included a strong faith and ethics base that influences her artwork. Ethical, social, and environmental issues are familiar themes for her work.
Misegadis’ artist website is lmisegadis.googlepages.com.
Located in Smith Center, the Hesston College Gallery hosts several exhibits each year. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1-5 p.m. Saturday, and 2-5 p.m. Sunday. During Thanksgiving Weekend, the gallery will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, November 22 through Saturday, November 24.
Hesston College Visual Art Department