Southeast Missouri State University student publication

Southeast alumna debuts solo exhibition "Sweetie" at Art Council’s First Friday

Friday, November 15, 2019
Sweetie solo exhibition by Southeast's alumna Ashley Sexton at the Micro-Galleries of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri
Photo by Antonio Solano

The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri hosted a First Friday gallery walk to present two solo exhibitions at the Micro Gallery rooms including Southeast alumna Ashley Sexton's "Sweetie" exhibit on Nov. 1.

“Sweetie” by mixed-media artist Sexton, showed a feature of prints and sculptures she collected over the years, something she learned from her parents.

"These things that didn't have a personal history of me but obviously have a personal history of somebody else," Sexton said. "I like the idea of kind of putting all these things together and then coding them into this … gross sweetness."

Sexton has created sculptures that have been publicly displayed throughout the City of Cape Girardeau, and some sculptures that have been installed in Iowa, which will soon move to Colorado. In addition, Sexton has been featured at some regional shows to present her art to the public.

Because she hails from the Midwest, Sexton feels her art should remain here, and that’s the reason she would love to eventually open her own gallery in Cape Girardeau.

"I want to open my own gallery, to have spaces for other people to put their works in," Sexton said. "I want something contemporary, where artists can come in and do weird stuff that other people aren't doing."

When it comes to art, Sexton's area of expertise is sculpture creation and installation. She is moving now into printmaking, a big reason for her desire to be featured at the Micro Galleries of the Arts Council, where she works as an associate and artist.

"We do have solo exhibits three times a year in March, October and November," said Sara Steffens, director of the Arts Council at Southeast Missouri. "We also have a rental space in the back, two Micro Galleries that Ashley Sexton is a part of it and she's also a new associate here, so we're happy to have her."

Sexton exhibition "sweetie" opens November 1, and will remain through November 29 at the Micro-Galleries in Cape Girardeau.

The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri is located at 16 North Spanish Street in Cape Girardeau.

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