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Opening Reception - Making It: Eastfield College Visual Art Alumni Exhibition


Eastfield College

On view: October 10 – November 8, 2019

Reception: October 10, 6:30 – 8 pm

Artist Panel Discussion: October 24, 11 am – 12 pm, G101

The Eastfield College Department Art Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition of works by a selection of visual arts alumni who have established diverse and successful professional practices in the field of art. Curated by Gallery Director, Iris Bechtol, the exhibition features work by seven artists who have studied with arts faculty at Eastfield. Together they represent four decades of excellence in teaching and learning in the Department of Visual Arts at Eastfield College.

Dubbed "Dallas' Hardest Working Multi-Hyphenate" by D Magazine, from drawing to painting to graphic design to photography to videography, Jeremy Biggers has been involved with image making his entire life.  He attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts where he primarily focused on expression through graphite and charcoal drawing. During his college years, he cultivated his love for painting and photography, and they’ve since cemented themselves into his everyday life.  As with most artists, his work is shaped by experiences that inform his view of the world. His goal with each piece is to inspire conversation. His work mixes realism with a design aesthetic. 

Brennen Bechtol has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing from the University of North Texas College of Visual Arts and Design.  He is a 500X Gallery alumni and currently makes hand-painted artwork and signs in his studio located in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, TX.  Through his sign-painting studio, Brennen is applying his skills as an artist to promote local businesses with quality hand-painted signs and murals.  His work will be featured in a solo exhibition this October at The Narrow Hall Gallery at Saatchi & Saatchi, Dallas, TX. Bechtol has two upcoming mural projects, one at Wild West Mural Fest in West Dallas in October 2019 and another at Casa Linda Plaza in East Dallas.

Chris Blackhurst holds a BFA in Ceramics with a minor in Art History from Texas A&M University-Commerce and an MA in Ceramics from the University of Dallas. She is currently Exhibitions Coordinator at Texas A&M University-Commerce. She has taught Ceramics, Ceramic Sculpture, 3D Design, and Art Appreciation at Brookhaven College, Collin College, Eastfield College, and Southern Methodist University. Chris maintains a working studio in the eastside of Dallas. Her current personal work is informed by pattern, color, and texture, exploring the way in which these elements exist in our lives. Her work is included in public and private collections including Collin College, Eastfield College, and A&M-Commerce.

David Dreyer’s paintings are an homage to the sacred spaces of memory.  His recent solo exhibition, Days Between, at Valley House Gallery featured paintings that represent his observations of vast landscapes and his exploration of intuitive response. After studying at Eastfield, Dreyer received a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX.  Dreyer’s work has been featured on the cover of the March/April 2019 issue of D Home Magazine, in an interior by Dallas based designer Jan Jones. His work has been included in exhibitions across Texas and he is currently represented by Valley House Gallery in Dallas, TX

Daniel Driensky studied art and photography at Eastfield College and the University of Texas at Arlington.  Driensky began working with his father, Dana Driensky, Dallas society photographer, while still in college. Later he partnered with local artist Sarah Reyes and together they founded Exploredinary, an agency that specializes in various forms of media including filmmaking, photography, painted murals, and sculptural installations.  Exploredinary has worked with numerous clients including Dallas Art Fair, Juxtapoz Art and Culture Magazine, Nylon Magazine, Papercity Magazine, Ilford Photo, and Facebook.  Most recently they completed a documentary film featuring Brendan Barry’s Shipping Container Camera through The Penthouse Artist Residency in Brussels, Belgium.

Influenced by artists Jean Dubuffet and Thornton Dial, Sandra Lara explores a multitude of subject matter in her work including feminism and trauma. She received formal art training at Eastfield College and Southern Methodist University studying under the late Bill Komodore, Robin Koch, and Lorraine Tady.  She has worked with incarcerated women and men in Dallas County, empowering individuals with her gift of teaching art. She is currently collaborating with Cynthia Salzman Mondell on Sole Sisters, a woman’s empowerment project.  Sandra Lara is represented by Mary Tomas Gallery in Dallas, TX.

Kathryn Vestal is a painter and printmaker based out of Dallas, Texas. After receiving her Associates of Art from Eastfield College she went on to study drawing, painting, and printmaking at The University of Texas at Dallas, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts. In 2018, Kathryn won the Asel Art award for Painting from the 15th Annual Juried Exhibition, at SP/N Gallery in Richardson, Texas. In 2019 she created a collection of solo work for her student Honor’s thesis which was presented at the 16th Annual Juried Exhibition at SP/N Gallery. This led to her first solo exhibition at Plush Gallery, in Dallas, Texas, titled Kathryn Vestal: ADHD which featured her abstracted self-portraits exploring the inner struggles of creating artwork while having Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD.

Gallery hours are 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. The gallery is located in F219C on the 2nd floor of the F Bldg. on the west side of campus.

Contact Iris Bechtol at 972-860-7329 or [email protected] for additional information.

Eastfield College. 3737 Motley Drive, Mesquite, TX 75150

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3737 Motley Drive · Mesquite, TX 75150


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