Image above: Nestitag Abortigo by Mary Jane Edwards from the Caged Memories series. Multi-media; 6″ x 8″ x 4″

Mary Jane Edwards’ multi-media pieces demonstrate sensitive use of materials to convey strong ideas. These thought-provoking pieces utilize metaphor and symbolism, inviting the viewer into a deeper investigation of universal themes. Familiar and challenging at once, these pieces offer a viewers a reflection on the world around us as it changes. Responding to current events, they remind us that one of the key reasons to look at art is to interpret and consider the world around us through a variety of lenses.

This exhibit is at Clay Paper Scissors for the months of August and September with Artwalk openings on August 11 and September 8, both from 5-8 PM. Mary Jane Edwards will be present at both Artwalks.

Biography for Mary Jane Edwards:

No stranger to the West, former art department head and professor of Art Emerita at the University of Wyoming Mary Jane Edwards is Executive Director of the Jentel Foundation on a working cattle ranch near Banner, Wyoming, where she welcomes visual artists and writers to an artists’ residency on a working cattle ranch. As an officer and board member, she has supported arts and advocacy organizations such as the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, the American Craft Council, the National Association of Arts Administrators and the National Campaign for Freedom of Expression. As a studio artist, she has had numerous exhibitions, received institutional grants, and presented workshops and lectures.  A passion for global travel in pursuit of culture shock makes her dream of filling a passport before it expires a reality. Born in DuQuoin, IL, Mary Jane grew up in Wichita Falls, TX and received her BA in studio art from the University of Dallas. She completed both MA and MFA degrees in ceramics at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and taught ceramics in Rochester, NY, before moving to Laramie. Mary Jane spent summer vacations camping in Yellowstone and traveling in Wyoming from the age of five through graduate studies and then returned frequently to camp on her own.

Image below: Lukto by Mary Jane Edwards from the Homeland Security series. Mixed media. 9″ x 10″ x 11″