The FMU fine arts department is displaying the ceramic work of Kate Shakeshaft Murray and photography by Lauren Greenwald in the Hyman Fine Arts Center (FAC). The art exhibit will be displayed until March 31.

Murray’s said her portion of the gallery,“Life Is a Long Story: Pots from the Later Chapters (2005- 2015),” reflects the two main functions of clay pots.

“Pottery historically answered our needs for practical containers,” Murray said. “Now, it can fill our need for formal beauty, and for carriers of personal meaning. My pots rarely defy function: mugs hold coffee; jars can contain beans or human remains. At the same time, pots are small sculptures whose beauties pertain to line, form, proportion, repetition, color and texture.”

Her love for pottery began after she took a ceramics class for fun while an undergraduate English major at Grinnell College. Murray never stopped making pots after that class.

“The materials and processes of making pots have captivated me so firmly that I have shaped my life so as to be able to keep doing this work,” Murray said.

After graduating from Grinnell College, Murray went on to study art at the University of Iowa, work for several production potters and obtain her Masters of Arts from the University of Florida. Murray managed to end up in Florence, S.C. where she taught ceramics for three years in the mid- 90s. Murray now resides in Gainesville, FL. where she teaches at Santa Fe College.

More information can be accessed about Murray and images of her work can be found at www. kateshakeshaftmurray.com.

Greenwald’s display, “Roadside,” consists of photographs taken on a solo road trip across 7,000 miles of U.S. highways. She photographed tourist spots and empty landscapes using a range of different cameras, including pinhole cameras and digital video. In her work, Greenwald focuses on landscape and perception, and she also pushes the envelope of visual arts by joining digital and analog processes into her photography.

Greenwald received her Bachelor of Arts in art history and French from the College of Charleston, and later received her Master of Arts in studio art from the University of New Mexico. While Greenwald was in New Mexico, venues exhibited her work regionally and nationally. She has worked with several of the art institutions in New Mexico as well, including Land Arts of the American West, SITE Santa Fe, and Radius Books. Greenwald is currently an Assistant Professor of Photography in the School of Visual Art and Design at the University of South Carolina.

The next gallery exhibit that FMU’s Fine Arts Department will sponsor the Senior Showcase featuring pieces by graduating visual arts majors. The exhibit will begin on April 5 in the FAC.