The Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) Cragin Art Gallery is pleased to host Drawing is Magic a solo exhibition by artist John Hendrix. The exhibition will run from February 24 – March 25, 2025, with a reception/artist talk on March 25 at 5:00 pm. Additionally, the MSSU Spiva Library will host a book reading and signing from 2:30 pm to 3:45 pm on March 25.
The artist talk will also be available live on Zoom. The community is encouraged to attend in person or virtually. The virtual option can be accessed here.
John Hendrix is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator. His books include The Faithrul Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler, called a Best Book of 2018 by NPR, Drawing Is Magic: Discovering Yourself in a Sketchbook, The Holy Ghost: A Spirited Comic, Miracle Man: The Story of Jesus, and many others. His award-winning illustrations have also appeared on book jackets, newspapers, and magazines all over the world. His most recent graphic novel, The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis was named a Best Children’s Book of 2024 by The New York Times. John is the Kenneth E. Hudson Professor of Art and Chair of the MFA in Illustration and Visual Culture program at the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis.
From the artist, “As an artist, I aim to communicate clear ideas using both words and images in concert. Made with pen and ink on paper, the heart of my practice has always been—simply—making drawings. But, I have come to realize the core activity lies beyond the drawing, but in the act of translation. In all my works, I aim to make complex concepts more legible. Beyond mere adaptation, a visual translation transforms the existing content. An image that is paired with text is not simply a “caption” in visual form. Instead, the act of illustration is a ‘gestalt’ (the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.) Illustration fuses both word and image into a new whole; a third thing that is neither purely word nor purely image. I hope that my work can create new paths for accessing ideas, learning history, describing experiences, and communicating stories.”
Learn more about the artist here.
About Missouri Southern State University:
Founded in 1937, Missouri Southern State University has provided educational opportunities for Southwest Missouri and beyond. The university serves nearly 4,300 students in more than 140 academic programs and boasts outstanding NCAA Division II athletics programs. The university’s mission is to educate and graduate knowledgeable, responsible, successful global citizens. For more than 75 years, Missouri Southern has developed exceptional, state and nationally accredited programs that prepare their students for the competitive and changing 21st century society.
Reference:
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Missouri Southern State University
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