WVU Parkersburg art instructor honored at WV Juried Exhibition

WVU Parkersburg faculty member honored at WV juried show; to be featured in University of Rochester, NY exhibition.

CONTACT: Zach Orcutt, art instructor, 304-424-8295.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A West Virginia University at Parkersburg art faculty member has received an Award of Excellence at the 2009 West Virginia Juried Exhibition and has a one-man exhibition at the University of Rochester, NY.

Zach Orcutt, WVU Parkersburg art instructor, was one of seven artists receiving Award of Excellence honors in the state's biennial exhibition, organized by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and showcasing the works of the state's best artists. The show features paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, photography, and mixed media pieces, as well as works created by artists working in traditional craft media.

Currently on display at the Huntington Museum of Art, the exhibition featured $33,000 in awards made available by the West Virginia Commission on the Arts of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History through funds appropriated by the West Virginia Legislature.

A total of 197 artists submitted entries for the exhibit. Ninety works were chosen for the juried show which is on display through Jan. 17, 2010.

In addition, Orcutt is being featured in a one-man show at the University of Rochester's Harnett Gallery. The exhibition, "Zorcutt: The Way of the Future,” is a sculptural project by Orcutt which opens Oct. 29 and runs through Nov. 22.

Orcutt explores the idea of flight as an “ephemeral escape from the ceaseless custody of Earth.” He communicates his work through an alter ego named Zorcutt, the “Don Quixote of Aviation,” bridging the gap between reason and fantasy by creating flying machines out of society’s waste. Orcutt employs abandoned exercise machines, car parts, and other objects to create sculptural flying machines that speak to the artist’s uncomfortable relationships with art, industry, politics, and commerce.

Orcutt received a master of fine arts degree in sculpture from Bowling Green State University and a bachelor of fine arts in sculpture from Syracuse University. In addition, he completed an apprenticeship at the Johnson Atelier Technical Institute of Sculpture in Mercerville, NJ. His work has been exhibited at institutions such as the Kettering Art Center, the Parkersburg Art Center, Duke University, and the Sculpture Center in Cleveland.

cd10/23/09

For additional information, contact:
Connie Dziagwa
WVU Parkersburg
Executive Director
Institutional Advancement
(304-424-8203)

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