August 26, 2022

Works by two East Mississippi Community College art instructors have been selected for inclusion in separate juried art exhibits that will take place in Meridian.

Two large, decorative ceramic bowls created by Lisa Spinks, who teaches art on EMCC’s Scooba campus, will be on display during the MS Clay Works 2022. Artwork from entrants will be on display Sept. 8 to Oct. 8 in the Miller Art Gallery at Meridian Community College. A closing reception and award ceremony will take place Oct. 8 at 5:30 p.m.

“I really wanted to support this event since it is the first clay conference in Mississippi,” Spinks said.

Two drawings by Cynthia Buob, who teaches art on EMCC’s Golden Triangle campus, were chosen for display in the 48^th Annual Bi-State Art Competition and Exhibition at the Meridian Museum of Art. The exhibition opened Aug. 2 and runs through Sept. 24. Awards will be announced during a Sept. 24 reception, which begins at 2 p.m.

“This is a great exhibit that showcases a lot of really good artwork from our region,” said Buob, whose drawings in the exhibition are of the backs of two former students’ heads and are studies in the interplay of light and texture. 

Jurors for the MS Clay Works show are Terrell Taylor, Helene Fielder and Antoinette Badenhorst. Preconference events include a clay wheel-throwing demonstration by former EMCC art instructor Terry Cherry, which will take place Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Meridian Museum of Art. Visit www.msclayworks.com for online information about the juried art show.

The Juror for the 48^th Annual Bi-State Art Competition and Exhibition is Ronna S. Harris, a contemporary realist painter and art instructor at Tulane University. Works of about 60 artists were selected for the juried exhibition. For more information, visit www.meridianmuseum.org and look for the “48^th Annual Bi-State Art Competition and Exhibition” tab.

Spinks is in her 15^th year at EMCC. After graduating high school from Mclaurin Attendance Center in Star, Miss., Spinks enrolled at the Mississippi University for Women, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Interior Design. She completed her master’s degree in Visual Arts, with an emphasis in two-dimensional art, at Mississippi College.

Spinks is also an accomplished artist in varying mediums with an eclectic palette that runs the gamut from the abstract to the realistic. In 2015, Spinks garnered first place in the drawing category during the Meridian Museum of Art People’s Choice competition for her work titled, “Sneakers.”

Buob is a former adjunct art instructor at both Mississippi State University and the Mississippi University for Women. A native of Peoria, Ill., she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Milliken University in Decatur, Ill., and a Master of Fine Arts degree in art from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She is in her seventh year at EMCC.

Buob is a figurative artist who has garnered national recognition for her work. In 2019, she earned “Best of Show” in the Meridian Museum of Art’s 45th Annual Bi-State Competition.

Both Buob and Spinks are former EMCC Humanities Teacher of the Year award recipients.

“Lisa and Cynthia are not only exceptional artists in their own rights, but they are also outstanding instructors who work hard to motivate and inspire their students,” EMCC Vice President of Instruction Dr. James Rush said. “We are fortunate to have instructors of their caliber leading our art programs on our Scooba and Golden Triangle campuses.”