Bowen named director of the Golding-Yang Gallery

Michael Bowen is the new director of Morehead State’s Golding-Yang Art Gallery.

Bowen has been an adjunct sculpture instructor at Morehead State, given sculpture workshops and demonstrations, and has participated in faculty art exhibitions. He has also worked at Shawnee State University, Marshall University, and the University of South Carolina.

Bowen earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Marshall University in 2004, a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from South Carolina University in 2010 and a visiting student at the Tainan National University of the Arts in Tainan, Taiwan, in 2009.

"I think galleries are an important part not only in developing a career as an artist, but a part that many artists just kind of assume works," Bowen said. " Moving forward my goals are to bring as diverse representation of the art world to the campus,” Bowen said. “Galleries also form as a different form of education to expand upon the classroom setting and I want to be an active part of that education.” Bowen added he’s already making plans for a possible international watercolor show and a contemporary jewelry show in the fall. He also has hopes of starting an outdoor sculpture gallery and organizing and utilizing the permanent collection.

Dr. David Oyen, interim associate dean of the School of Creative Arts, said Bowen is an ideal choice for the role of gallery director.

"Mike Bowen is an ideal choice as director of the Golding-Yang Gallery because his experience encompasses all the roles necessary to fill that position," said Oyen. "As a sculptor, he has exhibited in galleries across the country and knows the experience of entering his own work in juried competitions. As an educator, he has ample experience in college art teaching and an excellent rapport with the students who will serve as interns and workers in the galleries and will exhibit their own work in student exhibitions. He has work experience in galleries such as the Huntington (WV) Museum of Art and has helped in the installation and planning of exhibits at the Golding-Yang Gallery. At the same time, he was an adjunct instructor of art at Morehead State. We look forward to his vision for the future of the gallery."

Bowen has a busy spring semester planned at the gallery, starting with the opening of the annual sophomore exhibit on Wednesday, Feb. 15. A reception will be held from 4-6 p.m. at the gallery. In addition, the Burley-Coal High School Art Competition will return to the gallery, as will the senior and BFA shows near the end of the semester. He said he hopes to build on the work of his predecessors to increase community support for the gallery.

“I hope that I can build on the hard work of the previous gallery directors by supporting both artists and the students as well as encouraging more people to visit our gallery,” he said. “I believe it is important for any community to support galleries and museums and is unfortunately almost always an under-utilized resource in any community. In our community, it is even more important because it is the only resource for contemporary art within an hour of campus and further for many of the schools that utilize our gallery.

The Golding-Yang Art Gallery, located within the Claypool-Young Art Building, is a pivotal educational and cultural component of the Department of Art & Design, the Caudill College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, the MSU campus and the community at large. Through national calls for entries for both group and thematic exhibitions, the gallery showcases the work of contemporary artists in exhibitions curated by the gallery director with the advisement of faculty, or independent jurors. The gallery also hosts faculty and student exhibitions, providing and opportunity for art majors to exhibit their work in a professional venue. The three-level gallery features approximately 2,500 square feet of exhibition space with a screening room to display new media.

For more information about the gallery, contact Bowen at r.bowen@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2766. 

Learn more about programs in MSU's Department of Communication, Media, Art & Design by emailing cmad@moreheadstate.edu or calling 606-783-2457.