two wesleyan art professors selected for prestigious smithsonian exhibit

LINCOLN, Neb. —Two Nebraska Wesleyan University art professors have been selected for a prestigious exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

David Gracie, assistant professor of art, and adjunct instructor Justin Shaw have each been selected as finalists for the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competiton. The juried exhibition includes 49 works that were selected from more than 3,300 entries.

The competition required each artist to submit one work depicting anyone — a friend, stranger, relative, or self-portrait. The work had to be the result of the artist's direct encounter with that person.

Gracie — who specializes in painting — submitted an untitled oil painting on birch plywood. The painting is a self-portrait of Gracie wearing a plaid shirt. Shaw — who teaches sculpture — entered a foam rubber sculpture titled, "The Sad Thing Is I'm So Damn Happy." The sculpture is a self-portrait that focuses on Shaw's personal insecurities and vises.

Their works will be on display at the Smithsonian from October 23 through August 22, 2010.

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