Two New Exhibitions Open This Weekend at ODU's Gordon Galleries

Exhibitions of recent work by sculptor Nikki Blair and the third installment of the Baron and Ellin Gordon "Self-Taught Art" collection will open with a reception at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 21, at Old Dominion University's Gordon Galleries. Blair will give a gallery talk about her work at 7:30 p.m. The reception and talk are free and open to the public.

Blair's recent sculpture investigates issues of gender and sexuality as it exists within popular and material culture, addressing psychological constructs placed upon individuals by society and exploring the notion of gender being taught as a behavior, removed from the anatomy of sex.

Her work examines maleness and femaleness as two distinct cultures and therefore providing two uniquely different life experiences. Blair is fascinated by the way in which popular and material cultures address these differences through (among other things) advertising campaigns, product design and television programming.

Blair's exhibition, curated by John Roth, assistant professor of sculpture at ODU, runs through April 19.

At the reception for "In Depth: the Hand of the Self-Taught Artist," curated by Ramona Austin, members of the ODU art faculty discuss diverse artists in the collection and their place in contemporary art, giving scope to the collectors' vision that has shaped this unique body of contemporary self-taught art and add insight to this field of study.

The "In Depth" exhibition will be on display through Sept. 21.

Admission to the Gordon Galleries, located at 4509 Monarch Way in the University Village, is free. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.

For more information call 683-6271.