Flagler College's Crisp-Ellert Art Museum welcomes artist Lee Walton

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Lee Walton, Mato Jelic, 2013, Video

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL (10/09/2013)(readMedia)-- This October, the Crisp-Ellert Art Museum and Flagler College will welcome artist Lee Walton and his exhibition entitled "Lee Walton Plays the World (On His Phone): A Chess Performance in 40 Parts." The exhibition opens with a walkthrough with the artist and the museum's director at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30. This will be followed by a reception along with chess matches with the artist. The exhibition continues through Oct. 18.

Walton is an artist whose work is experiential. He works in a variety of media, from game and system-based structures, web performances and drawing, to situational events and social practice. Recently, the artist has experienced a renewed interest in the game of chess. This exhibition is the tangible manifestation of the artist's pursuit to master his hobby.

Subjecting himself to the ultimate test, Walton will play 40 simultaneous games of chess with 40 opponents from around the world. The exhibition will include 40 chessboards, lent by members of the Flagler College and St. Augustine communities and culled from thrift stores, in which Walton will play each game remotely from his iPhone using Social Chess, an on-line application. The physical chess boards will be updated daily in accordance to each move. There will be a 24-hour time limit for each move, and visitors can follow the artist's games by joining Social Chess and by following the username leeball.

Walton earned his MFA from the California College of Arts in 2000. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions both nationally and internationally, and museums, institutions, cities and organizations have commissioned him to create projects, lecture, facilitate workshops, and orchestrate public events. Most recently Walton was commissioned to organize projects at Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN (2012), the Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery at Haverford College, PA (2012) and Valand Art Academy in Gothenburg, Germany (2011). Past public projects and exhibitions include the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA), Winston-Salem, NC, Creative Time, New York and the New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, among many others.

His work has been written about in a variety of contexts and book publications, and is included in public and private collections both nationally and internationally. He is currently an Associate Professor of Art at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a father, husband and average golfer.

Other works in the exhibition will include Walton's newest video piece Mato Jelic, a sound installation and drawings, as well as related programs and events throughout the month of November, that further explore the art of chess and the people that play it.

Additionally, there will be weekly chess matches in the museum that will be free and open to the public; specific information will be updated at www.flagler.edu/crispellert and http://leewalton.com/chess_home.html.

We have also organized the following related events in conjunction with Flagler College's "Ideas and Images: Visiting Scholars and Artists" program:

On Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m., the museum will host a lecture on chess and chess appreciation by Seattle-based National Chess Master, Dereque Kelley.

On Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m., Dr. Chris Balaschak, Assistant Professor of Art History at Flagler College, will give a lecture, "Horses Running Endlessly: Modern Art and Chess." All events are free and open to the public.

For further information on the exhibition and related programs, please visit the website at www.flagler.edu/crispellert, or contact Julie Dickover at 904-826- 8530 or crispellert@flagler.edu.

"Ideas and Images: Scholars and Artists in Residence" features an international composition of artists and authors, introducing a fresh and creative component to the greater St. Augustine community. Each event is free and open to the public. Call (904) 819-6282 or visit www.flagler.edu/our-community for more information. If you are a person with a disability and need reasonable accommodations, please contact Lynn Francisco at 904-819-6460. Sign Language Interpreters are available upon request with a minimum of three days' notice.

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Flagler College is an independent, four-year, comprehensive baccalaureate college located in St. Augustine, Fla. The college offers 29 majors, 34 minors and two pre-professional programs, the largest majors being business, education and communication. Small by intent, Flagler College has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, as well as a satellite campus at Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, Fla. U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review regularly feature Flagler as a college that offers quality education at a relatively low cost. A Flagler education is less than half the cost of similar private colleges, and competitive with many state universities. A relatively young institution (founded in 1968), Flagler College is also noted for its historic beauty. The centerpiece of the campus is the former Hotel Ponce de Leon, a grand resort built in 1888 by Henry M. Flagler, industrialist, railroad pioneer and co-founder of Standard Oil. The Ponce has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. For more on Flagler College, visit www.flagler.edu.