Gardner-Webb Faculty-Staff Showcase Highlights Artistic and Scholarly Talent

Senior Art Major Frances Blackston Helps Organize the Exhibit Opening on Oct. 16 in Tucker Gallery

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—The Department of Communication, Art, and Design (CAD) will host a Faculty-Staff Showcase throughout the 2026 Fall Semester in the Ali Pouryousefi Memorial Art Gallery in Tucker Student Center. The exhibit will open on Oct. 16 with a reception from 4 to 6 p.m. and remain on display through November.

Jessica Maloney, assistant professor of photography and design and chair of the department, appreciates the opportunity to feature the faculty and staff. “I’m so glad that this exhibit highlights the wide range of expertise that we have in our building!” she noted. “We all come from such different disciplines that it’s wonderful to see our work together. I hope this exhibition gives students an idea of what we all do in our professional practices and also inspires them to explore careers in the communication, art, and design industries.”

Dr. Nancy Bottoms, an adjunct professor and professor emerita of English and art, said the showcase is also a learning experience for senior art major Frances Blackston, who is serving as co-organizer of the exhibit as part of her Senior Exhibitions course, a graduation requirement.

Blackston shared that the experience provides valuable hands-on training in reviewing, selecting and displaying artwork, which are skills she hopes to use in her future career. Her long-term goal is to open a gallery that supports local artists and provides a space for them to share their work with the community.

The following faculty and staff members are participating:

• Debby Watts, administrative assistant for CAD and the Department of Public Service, will showcase a multimedia exhibit.
• Scott Vayakone, visiting instructor in the College of Arts and Sciences, will feature his graphic design work.
• Andrew Stephenson, adjunct instructor, will contribute ceramics from his collection.
• Jeff Powell, instructor of Communication Studies, will share a podcast project highlighting the history and memories of Gardner-Webb radio WGWG.org (formerly WGWG 88.3FM).
• Connie Meza De Soto, GWU employee and student, will display her paintings and drawings.
• Jessica Maloney, assistant professor of photography and design, will present a photography exhibit.
• Dr. Lisa Luedeman, professor of Communication Studies, will highlight scholarly research and multimedia.
• Matthew Jones, adjunct instructor, will exhibit a painting.
• Dr. Nancy Bottoms will display text from a research project.

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Become More at gardner-webb.edu.