University of Dayton alumni Amy Sacksteder and Ryan Feeney will make their “return” to Dayton with an exhibit of the same name at the College Park Center beginning Thursday, Aug. 30, and running through Sept. 20.
It will be held in Gallery 249 of the CPC on Brown Street, and admission is free.
An opening reception for the exhibit will be held Aug. 30 from 5-7 p.m., and Sacksteder will speak at 6 p.m.
Sacksteder is particularly excited about this exhibit, since it will allow her to come back to her old stomping grounds at UD.
“I am excited to reminisce a little,” Sacksteder said.
She also said that she is excited to see the changes that have been made to the arts department since she graduated in 2001.
Sacksteder received her Bachelor of Arts in English, but said that she knew she wanted to become an artist after studying art abroad in France during college.
“Looking back, I wish I declared a double major in English and art,” she said. Instead, she graduated with double minors in French and art.
After returning from France, Sacksteder said that she spent her entire senior year putting together a portfolio of her art in the hopes that she would make it on her own as an artist.
It looks like all the work she put into studying art at UD and all over the world has paid off. Sacksteder is currently participating in exhibits throughout the country, and she is also an associate professor of art at Eastern Michigan University.
“I am really busy right now,” Sacksteder said. “But I am excited to come back to UD.”
Ryan Feeney has also been featured in many exhibits since earning his Bachelor of Arts from UD in 2005. He earned his Masters of Fine Arts and Studio Arts from the University of Massachusetts and showcases his artwork on his website, www.ryanfeeney.com.
“I am looking forward to seeing how we can bring our work together,” Sacksteder said of participating in the exhibit with fellow UD alumnus, Feeney.
Sacksteder said she thinks UD students will especially enjoy the exhibit.
“It reveals the extent to which someone who was in their shoes can travel and see the world and make it part of professional life,” she said.
“And also, I really like my work,” Sacksteder said.
The work she will display in the exhibit was inspired by an artist residency she recently completed in Iceland, and she hopes that her audiences will like it too.
Limited parking will be available at the College Park Center. A student attendant will be available at the front door to provide guests with parking passes, according to the department of visual arts.
The exhibit will be open to the public 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday.
For more information on the exhibit, visit www.udayton.edu/arts or call the visual arts department at 937-229-3237.
