Penn College News

Kinetic exhibit offered online as gallery expands viewing options

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

“Not a Breath of Wind” is the latest online exhibit being offered by The Gallery at Penn College. The virtual display of kinetic sculptures and carved objects runs March 16 through April 26 on the gallery’s website.

Featuring images and videos, “Not a Breath of Wind” showcases works by John Douglas Powers, an associate professor of sculpture and time-based art at the University of Tennessee. Powers, a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, finds influences in classical myth, Buddhist philosophy, landscape and visions of the afterlife intersecting freely with interests in technology, music, history, language and geometry.



“Locus,” a kinetic sculpture by John Douglas Powers, is among the featured works in “Not a Breath of Wind,” an online exhibit offered by The Gallery at Penn College. Made of oak, poplar, steel, brass, plastic and electric motor, “Locus” measures 4 feet by 22 feet by 22 feet.Powers earned a Master of Fine Arts in sculpture, with distinction, from the University of Georgia, and a Bachelor of Arts in art history from Vanderbilt University. His work has been featured in The New York Times, World Sculpture News, Sculpture Magazine, Art Forum, Art in America and on “CBS Sunday Morning.”

The virtual exhibit of “Not a Breath of Wind” is the seventh online presentation offered by The Gallery at Penn College since last spring when the COVID-19 pandemic began. The show runs in tandem with another online exhibit, “Second Nature,” which can also be viewed in person at the gallery through April 9.

Located on the third floor of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Madigan Library, the gallery reopened to the public on March 15 with safety precautions in place.

Powers' "Omphalos," comprising marble and feathers, measures 90 inches by 24 inches by 8 inches.The library itself is only open to students and employees; however, visitors can inform library monitors they are going to the gallery and take the north/front elevator to the third floor. Visitors must wear masks, complete a series of screening questions prior to entering the space, and maintain social distance from other guests not in their group. Capacity limits will also be followed.

Gallery hours are Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2 to 8 p.m., and Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery is closed on weekends.

“Second Nature” showcases drawings and writings by Sarah Patterson, an area graphic designer who engaged in a 100-day journaling routine. Her display is supplemented with journaling resources for visitors to explore.

The Gallery at Penn College, an educational resource for Penn College students and a cultural asset to the college and community, is dedicated to promoting art appreciation through exhibitions of contemporary art.

Gallery endeavors have been supported, in part, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how NEA grants impact individuals and communities, visit the agency's website.

For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free at 800-367-9222.