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<font face="Garamond">The University Gallery and the Department of Art at Texas A&M University-Commerce invites you to a reception <b>today</b> </font><b style="font-family: Garamond;">from 5:00-8:00 pm </b><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 12pt;">for
the exhibition, </span><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 12pt;"><i>James Watral: It</i><i>’</i><i>s About Today.</i></span></p>
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<span style="line-height: 15.3333px;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Garamond;">Curated by Exhibitions Coordinator, Chris Blackhurst, and stewards of Watral’s work, Hampton Burwick and Rusty Scruby, t</span><font face="Garamond"><font color="#333333">he
exhibition will feature many of Watral’s signature ceramic pieces spanning several decades of his career as an artist and will include the famed napkins that preserve his ideas and drawings. Watral was influenced by garden design, architecture, dance, theater,
literature, </font></font></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Garamond;">science, and </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Garamond;">current events. He had a specific interest in Egyptian, Etruscan, and Greek art which
is evident in his drawings and in the </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Garamond;">form and </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Garamond;">surface treatment of his ceramic works.</span></div>
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<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Garamond, sans-serif; line-height: 15.3333px;"><font face="Garamond">James Watral (1942-2014) received a Masters in Fine Art from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA and a Bachelors in Fine Art from Cleveland
Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio. Watral taught at several colleges and universities throughout his career including Texas Women’s University, Southern Methodist University, University of Texas at Tyler, University of Texas at Dallas, </font></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Garamond;">Eastfield
College where he served as Professor of Ceramics from 1999-2010, and </span><font color="#333333" face="Garamond">East Texas State University where he served as Associate Professor of Art and Chair of Ceramics from 1968-1980. Watral's work has been exhibited
nationally and internationally and is held in many private and public collections including the Dallas Museum of Art and the New Orleans Museum of Art. His work has been reviewed in <i>Ceramics Monthly</i>, the<i> Dallas Morning News</i>, <i>Austin American
Statesman</i>, and <i>American Crafts</i>.</font></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 254, 254);"><font color="#333333" face="Garamond"><i>James Watral: It’s About Today,</i> June 14-July 29, 2016</font></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 254, 254);"><font color="#333333" face="Garamond">The University Gallery is located at 2005 University Drive, Commerce, Tx 75428</font></span></div>
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<font color="#333333" face="Garamond" style="background-color: rgb(254, 253, 253);">All events are free and open to the public.</font></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">- - - - - </span><br style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; widows: 1;">
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</span><b>Chris Blackhurst </b>| University Exhibitions Coordinator<br>
Department of Art | Texas A&M University-Commerce<br>
<a href="https://outlook.tamuc.edu/owa/UrlBlockedError.aspx" target="_blank"><font face="Garamond">Christine.Blackhurst@tamuc.edu</font></a><br>
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PO Box 3011 | Commerce, TX 75429<br>
Tel. <span id="skype_c2c_container" class="skype_c2c_container notranslate" dir="ltr" tabindex="-1"><span class="skype_c2c_highlighting_inactive_common" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_c2c_textarea_span" id="non_free_num_ui"><img class="skype_c2c_logo_img" src="https://outlook.tamuc.edu/ecp/Customize/Messaging.aspx?showhelp=false&" height="0" width="0"><span class="skype_c2c_text_span">903.886.5455</span><span class="skype_c2c_free_text_span"></span></span></span></span> |
Fax 903.886.5987 | www.tamuc.edu<font face="Garamond,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font><br>
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<font color="#7F0000" face="Garamond" style="font-size: 13px;"><b>The Texas A&M University System</b></font></font></div>
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