01/07/16 sds
HAYS, Kan. -- An exhibit of almost 40 oil and acrylic paintings will open in Fort Hays State University's Moss-Thorns Gallery of Art on Monday, Jan. 11.

The Ballougan Exhibition showcases the collaborative work of Joel Dugan, assistant professor of art and design at FHSU, and Matt Ballou, associate teaching professor at the University of Missouri. Ballou and Dugan, who attended Indiana University-Bloomington together, have been working on the collaborative pieces since mid-2013.

The paintings focus on the idea of "portal" and the individual interests of both artists.

"The pieces they have created under the portal theme," says the artists' exhibition statement, "engage with the history of the painted surface as a threshold between the actual physical world and an imagined, constructed space." Each artist has developed his own set of artistic methods, and the exhibition showcases the similarities and differences between Ballou and Dugan.

The Ballougan Exhibition will be open through Friday, Jan. 22. The Moss-Thorns Gallery of Art will host a closing reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22. Dugan will present a gallery talk and answer questions from the public.

The Moss-Thorns Gallery is on the first floor of Rarick Hall on the FHSU campus. Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.