For Immediate Release                                           Jan. 11, 2007

Contact:  Lynn Whalen, 217.786.2219

New exhibit by artist Jessica Forys opens Jan. 16 at LLCC Murray Gallery

SPRINGFIELD -- The James S. Murray Gallery at Lincoln Land Community College presents “Simple Pleasures,” showcasing a body of work by the emerging artist Jessica Forys.  The exhibit runs Jan. 16 through Feb. 9. The Murray Gallery, located at the main campus on the upper level of Menard Hall, is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays.   

A Nashville, Illinois native, Ms. Forys maintains a studio at the University of Missouri-Columbia where she teaches and is a graduate student. 

Ms. Forys uses familiar domestic materials such as fragments of cloth or lace, quilting remnants, buttons and old wallpaper in her collages.  She intentionally mixes these elements with more traditional art materials such as acrylic paint, crayon and screen-printing methods to evoke a longing for the past.  The soft balance of colors, the childlike markings and fragmented forms built from scraps of paper and cloth are reminiscent of a comfortable corner of a lived-in space. The artist describes her works as vulnerable, playful, sweet and sentimental.  For her, “the simple pleasures in life lead to happiness.”