By CRISTINA JANNEY, Hays Post
The Moss-Thorns Gallery of Art at Fort Hays University is featuring an exhibit of Mexican art from its permanent collection, and visitors don't have to leave their homes to view it.
"Within" is an exhibit of Mexican pottery and two-dimensional art that was donated to the university by Tim Johnson, a former resident of Hays.
The Moss-Thorns Gallery is open to the public, but Colin Schmidtberger, gallery director, said to reach more art lovers, the university has placed photos of the entire exhibit online.
"We wanted the audience, the patrons of the arts, to view the work even if they are not capable or able to come in and see it within the gallery setting," Schmidtberger said. "We know a lot of people are in quarantine or they just don't feel comfortable coming out to a public setting.
"We wanted to be able to still showcase the artwork even if they are unable to physically come in and see it."
Most of the pieces in Johnson's collection were acquired through an intermediary from San Antonio who traveled to Mexico to find the pieces.
Many of the pieces are brightly colored figurines or place settings, which depict figures or animals. Many of the pieces are by unnamed artists, and unfortunately, Schmidtberger said he does not know the region of Mexico from which the pieces originated.
"He actually donated a very large collection of artwork, and what is on display right now is more of the Mexican art he donated," Schmidtberger said. "He actually donated some Greek pottery as well. He was basically an art collector."
The Moss-Thorns Gallery remains open to the public 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays in the new The Schmidt Foundation Center for Art and Design on the FHSU campus.
Those who visit the gallery in person are required to follow all local COVID requirements, including masks, and are encouraged to social distance.
Due to COVID-19, the gallery will not have an opening or closing reception for the exhibit. "Within" will be on display at the gallery through Sept. 18.
This is the second virtual exhibit the Moss-Thorns has offered. The annual student honors art exhibition was available online after the campus was forced to close in the spring due to COVID-19.
All of the other exhibits that are scheduled in the Moss-Thorns through the end of the year also will be made available online, Schmidtberger said.
You can see a complete schedule of the exhibits for the 2020-21 school year on the Moss-Thorns webpage.