Robert E. Wilson Gallery to host
FOR RELEASE: Monday, September 27, 2004
Huntington, Ind. " The Robert E. Wilson Gallery of the Merillat Center for the Arts at Huntington College will display Two Visions: Ink and Steel, an exhibit by local Fort Wayne artist Sayaka Ganz. The exhibit, featuring welded steel sculpture and prints, will open October 8 and run through November 13, It can be viewed Monday through Friday from 9-5:00 p.m., and before all MCA events. The public cordially is invited to attend an artist reception held for Ganz on October 14, from 6-7:30 p.m, in the Robert E. Wilson Gallery.
Ganz, a native of Yokohama, Japan, has lived in several countries and is deeply influenced by both her international background as well as the Japanese culture. Her fascination with animals and their physical movement also continues to provide inspiration for much of her work.
As a young child in Japan, I remember getting very excited when I first learned how to make origami animals, Ganz said. I feel that these metal sculptures reflect my experience of searching for abstract shapes and folds of paper that come together and create the image of an animal.
Ganz uses scrap metal to create many of her animal sculptures. Collecting the steel from local scrap yards, Ganz cleans and shapes the pieces before welding them together into metal images. She received her BA in Printmaking from Indiana University-Bloomington in 2000. She currently teaches drawing and design at Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW). Ganz has also taught traditional Japanese paper folding at the John Waldron Arts Center and the Indiana University Student Union.
Ganz's awards and honors include the Indiana University Faculty Award for outstanding academic achievement, the Ruth N. Halls Award for Fundamental Studio Art courses and the Kanagawa Women Artists' Society Shorei Award. Ganz has also been featured in numerous national and international exhibits including most recently, a permanent installation of her work at the Visual Arts Gallery at IPFW.
For more information on the Robert E. Wilson Gallery or the exhibit, please contact Rebecca Coffman, Gallery Director, at (260) 359-4272.
