In Plain View…

In Plain View…

Opening art reception at ASU Mid- South April 8

ralphhardin@gmail.com ASU Mid-South will host an opening reception for a picture gallery by Betsy Brackin Burch on Friday April 8, in the Donald W. Reynolds Center.

The event will kick-off a six week engagement in which the artist’s works will be on display at the college. The reception will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Burch is a Delta-born artist whose work is deeply tied to the places she's lived.

From the banks of the Mississippi to the farms, fish frys, and juke joints that run along it, Betsy's landscapes are imbued with the rich culture of the region.

Trained from the age of 7, she received her BFA from the Memphis College of Art. While commissions have taken her as far as Greece, she has also shown extensively throughout the Delta, including such notable venues as the Arkansas Governor's Mansion.

“For the past ten years I have been drawn to the Delta time and time again,” said Burch. “The distinctive scent of the muddy gumbo, the thick humid air permeating through the cotton fields, and the cypress grooves always lure me back home. Also, there is nothing like standing on the edge of a field at sunset and hearing cicadas. Their sound is so loud it vibrates your eardrums.”

Burch said she has experimented with different colors and compositions. “My warm auburn reds and purples reveal an emotional heavy history that constantly lingers in the south,” she said. “I try to turn the dark history of the Delta on its head by using the softer color palettes found in Arkansas Soybeans. With this use of color you can start to see the subtle beauty present despite the dark history. My inner perception of what these landscapes look like is my way of sharing how I experience the world.”

“In Plain View” will be on display from April 8 through May 19 at the college, 2000 W. Broadway, in West Memphis.

By Ralph Hardin