Stephen F. Austin State University

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - An art exhibition by Chad Erpelding, assistant professor of art at Stephen F. Austin State University, will open at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3, at The Art Center in The Old Opera House, 329 E. Main St. in Nacogdoches.

"Chad Erpelding: Corporate Worlds," features artwork that makes use of maps and charts to investigate the largest public corporations in the world.

After gathering information from research, Erpelding layers images to create ambiguity between different locations and environments while retaining a sense of separation among the parts.

"Focusing on detailed ways different groups view the world, my work pairs conflicting elements to develop a situation that is visually complex and conceptually disorienting," Erpelding said. "I hope that my work challenges viewers to consider the relationships among various environments while questioning their understanding of place in a global community."

Erpelding joined the SFA faculty last August after completing his Master of Fine Arts in 2D studio art at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The Algona, Iowa, native earned his undergraduate degree in studio art from Central University of Iowa where he participated in a study-abroad program at Trinity University in Carmarthan, Wales.

His work was included in last fall's "SFA Faculty Exhibition," but this is his first solo show in Texas. Erpelding's art has also been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in Illinois, Maine, Alaska, Oregon, Iowa, Missouri and Massachusetts.

The exhibition's 6 to 8 p.m. opening on Aug. 3 will include a gallery talk by Erpelding and a reception. The exhibition is sponsored in part by Nacogdoches Junior Forum and the SFA Friends of the Visual Arts.

Regular gallery hours are 12:30 to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Admission to the opening and the exhibition is free.

For more information, please call (936) 468-1131.