William Dunlap

William Dunlap is an artist and art commentator. In late April, Mr. Dunlap came to the University of Mississippi to give a speech in Bennett Auditorium. He is a painter, sculptor, and a constructionist. A Mississippi native, William Dunlap has been in galleries all over the united states and has been an inspiration to many. Hi presentation was interesting and lasted about an hour. He speaks so quickly, I felt he would be successful as an auctioneer. Mr. Dunlap was witty and entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed viewing his constructions and engaging in his jokes.

Senior Art Show

In April, the University of Southern Mississippi held it's Bachelor of Arts Senior Art Show. I had never been to an art exhibit at the University. My friend Catherine had two pieces of art involved. Of the two involved, she one first place on one of them. Over 100 students had put in their hard time and effort not only trying to get into the art show, but to win. The interesting part of this exhibit was I could have stayed there for hours and just stared at some the artwork. Many of the students at the University of Southern Mississippi are truly talented. The best part of the art show was the finger sandwiches!!

Streetcar

For extra credit, I was assigned to go to the University of Southern Mississippi's production of "A Streetcar Named Desire." I had seen the play before in Mobile, Alabama, but this production was much more entertaining. The actors that played Blanche and Stanley were incredibly moving. Through the characters' eyes, I could feel what they were feeling. After the play, I spoke with one of the main character's, Blanche. She was exhausted from acting but her energy was still in full force. I recommend students, faculty, and play-lovers of Hattiesburg to support the University of Southern Mississippi's Theater and Dance program!

Breaking the Veils

"Breaking the Veils: Women Artists from the Islamic World" was an amazing exhibit held in the historic Hattiesburg Train Depot. The mediums varied from oil to acrylic. From about 21 countries, 52 women were involved in presenting their artwork. Before I went to the exhibit I wasn't sure what to expect, but I did assume I would see neutral colors. However, when I arrived, the paintings were bursting with bright colors and were abstract. I enjoyed this exhibit because I was immersed in the female art world of the Islamic culture.

de Grummond Children's Literature Collection

As an English major, I was particularly interested in visiting the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection in the Cook Library. Among the intricate illustrations and antique books were some of my favorites, such as Kate Greenaway and Aesop. While I was looking I couldn't help but notice the amount of fables, fairytales, and folklore that had accumulated in the collection. Most interestingly to me were the different adaptations of Cinderella. I saw fairytales from all over the world, including Hungary, Japan, and England. It was hard to read the detail of some works because of the glass casing. Interestingly, the oldest works in the collection are Aesop's fables dating back to 1530.