The Reclamation of Our Faces, an exhibition of works by students and faculty from Southeast Missouri State Universitys Department of Art and Design will be on display May 7-28 at Southeasts Catapult Creative House.

An opening reception will take place on Friday, May 7 from 5-9 p.m. Face coverings will be required, and social distancing guidelines will be in place.

“Angry Man” by Benjie Heu, Southeast professor of ceramics.

The Reclamation of Our Faces explores the significance faces have in art and in personal interactions. One of the many things lost since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic is the ability to fully view each others faces. While masks have been a necessary precaution, the inability to view each others facial expressions has presented challenges to overcome. In daily interactions, faces are a primary way to depict emotion and feeling. In art, faces can be used to symbolize many things or to inform the viewer of the concept or feeling of the piece as a whole. As the end of the pandemic draws closer, and face-to-face interactions return, this exhibition stands as a celebration of faces and the process of slowly reclaiming them.

This exhibition was organized and curated by Billy Brooks, a senior art student and Catapults Student Gallery Manager.

Visitors are welcome to tour the entire Catapult facilities including the students studios upstairs and the second-floor student gallery. Visitors are also invited to browse the merchandise in the Shoppe, which features student work and local business products.

Catapult Creative House is located at 612 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. All gallery exhibitions, events and talks are free and open to the public.