Sights and Sounds of the Mother Road Drives WT Student Art Exhibition
Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

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CANYON, Texas — A student art exhibition inspired by eclectic signs along Route 66 will open May 7 at West Texas A&M University.

“No Good with Words” by Kara Speedy, a senior art major from Amarillo, will be on view through May 23 in the Dord Fitz Formal Art Gallery in Mary Moody Northen Hall on WT’s Canyon campus. An opening reception will be held at 5 p.m. May 7 in the gallery.

“Living along Route 66, I am influenced by the old graphic signs that are scattered alongside the roads,” Speedy said. “The visual play of signage and the odd shapes they sometimes take is the basis for my inspiration. Painting words sparked an interest in the interaction of forms and colors.”

Speedy’s experience with several public art projects in Amarillo—including Blank Spaces Murals and Hoodoo Mural Festival—informs her work.

“I love my city and I love being a part of making it a more creative and art-friendly space,” Speedy said.

Jon Revett, head of WT’s Department of Art, Theatre and Dance in the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities, called Speedy’s an interesting and unexpected combination of shapes and sound effects.

“She has taken fragments of speech and noise and turned them into works of art in both paintings and prints, causing us to reconsider these often-overlooked moments,” Revett said.

Fitz Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, by appointment Fridays and Saturdays, and by appointment following May 15 and 16 spring commencement ceremonies. Email rweingart@wtamu.edu.