Germaine Dunn to exhibit in The Pence-Chowning Art Gallery

By Ellie Wise | 03/01/2022

By Ellie Wise, student intern, Office of University Communications

Germaine Dunn, a senior at Campbellsville University, is scheduled to follow Hunter Sallee's exhibit in The Pence-Chowning Art Gallery, 205 University Drive. Dunn's exhibit ends Friday, March 4.

His reception is Tuesday, March 1 from 3 to 7 p.m. in the gallery. Everyone is invited.

Dunn is graduating with a Bachelor in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Graphic Design from Campbellsville University's Department of Art and Design.

“Art will always express who I am as a person. My passion to create and my fresh and unique vision drives me to continually express myself no matter what the media process. Maintaining this while exceeding class expectation will always be one of my goals and greatest accomplishments,” he said.

“To express ourselves is one of the greatest pleasures in life, but for us as an artist it means the world. My art will always express who I am as a person. I continually air a fresh and unique likeness of how I have matured as an artist, with a passion to create no matter of the media process I'm working; in printmaking, watercolor or designing graphics logos for customers,” Dunn said.

Dunn is from Harrodsburg, Ky., and said he moved to Campbellsville to better his life.

“I am an artist that uses symbolism, often driven by my past lifestyle as seen in most of my personal work. I love to express and expand my creativity in media such as acrylics, watercolor, printmaking, sculpting and graphic design,” he said.

Dunn has had a passion for art since he was a child. “My work will use lots of symbolism in expressing my work and my past,” Dunn said in his artist statement.

“I believe that it is my love of art as a child that drives me but my struggles in life that give my work its substance.”

Dunn started his college career at the age of 43. He seeks to inspire others and help them find their way through his story and his work. “Art will always express who I am as a person,” he said. “My passion to create and my fresh and unique vision drives me to continually express myself no matter the media process,” he said.

Dunn's work is inspired by his struggles, his journey in addiction recovery and his  relationship with Christ.

“One of my greatest achievements is getting my life back after becoming a client at and completing treatment at the Isaiah House, a Christian-based rehabilitation center,” he said. He said he has found a purpose and to help others find theirs.

Examples were: “Watching the smile on my mom's face after so many years of making her life miserable, becoming a father to my children that I had abandoned in my addiction and graduating from Campbellsville University will certainly be no small matter.”

Dunn has had numerous exhibitions including those at the Art Center of the Bluegrass in Danville, Ky.; Hallowell, Maine; and The Pence-Chowning Art Gallery at Campbellsville University, and has competed in contests at Eastern Kentucky Recovery, Isaiah House Treatment Center and others.

After graduating, Dunn plans to continue working at Isaiah House, helping to create designs for shirts, business cards, pamphlets and web design, using addiction recovery as a platform to share a lot of his ideas. He works in printmaking, sculpting, acrylics, watercolor and designing graphics logos for customers.

Shane Dick, Ayreal Allen, April Webb and Anna Webb are the remaining students scheduled to exhibit throughout the semester.

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university that has enrolled up to 12,000 students yearly. The university offers over 100 programs of study including doctoral, masters, bachelors, associate and certification programs. The website for complete information is www.campbellsville.edu.