Nazareth College's Colacino Gallery to showcase film-inspired collages of Mara Ahmed in a multi-media exhibit

"This Heirloom" exhibit opens January 15; artist reception and gallery talk January 24!

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"This Heirloom," a multi-media exhibition of film-inspired collages by Mara Ahmed, Nazareth College Colacino Gallery January 15-February 7, 2014

ROCHESTER, NY (01/02/2014)(readMedia)-- The Nazareth College Department of Art's Colacino Gallery will host "This Heirloom," a multi-media exhibition of film-inspired collages by Mara Ahmed beginning Wednesday, January 15, 2014, through February 7, with an artist's reception on January 24 from 5.30-7.30 p.m., and an artist's talk on January 24 at 6.30 p.m.

RELATED STORY: The Nazareth College Department of Art's Arts Center Gallery will host "Insight: The Inner Nature of Things," curated by artist Elizabeth Lyons and featuring the work of sculptors Francesca Lalanne, Mahine Rattonsey, Kate Roberts, and Jennifer Schinzing. The exhibit opens Friday, January 24, 2014, through March 7, with an artist reception on January 24 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

About "This Heirloom"

Born in Lahore, Pakistan, Mara Ahmed was raised in Brussels; earned Master's degrees in business and economics in Pakistan and the United States; and enjoyed a successful career in finance. Yet art and literature were her passion and in 2004 she left her corporate job and enrolled in art classes at Nazareth College, where she studied graphic art and lithography.

In 2006, Ahmed began studying filmmaking at the Visual Studies Workshop and Rochester Institute of Technology. Her first film, The Muslims I Know, premiered at the Dryden Theatre in 2008; it was screened at the High Falls Film Festival and festivals in Washington, D.C., Toronto, and on countless university campuses. She has since formed a production company, Neelum Films (www.NeelumFilms.com), and is working on her third documentary about the Partition of India.

Ahmed's exhibit will reflect her various passions. The artist uses computer graphics to create stunning collages that incorporate painting and photography with texturally rich fabrics from Pakistan and India. She will present these works in a multi-media exhibit that combines art and film, with a video collage set to music, including compositions by Bach, Chopin and local musician Sunny Zaman.

Ahmed's artist statement: "My artwork draws from highly diverse materials, textures and colors to achieve a multi-layered fusion of so-called opposites – East and West, abstract and representational, male and female, emotive and cerebral, complex and manifest. The random juxtaposition of these elements and the use of painting, photography, text and fabric help me create dynamic collages. My work is intensely personal, but open to infinite interpretations and therefore a door to new ideas and ways of interacting with the world."

Ahmed's exhibit opens in the Nazareth College Department of Art's Colacino Gallery January 15 and will be on display through February 7, with an artist's reception on January 24 from 5.30-7.30 p.m., and an artist's talk on January 24 at 6.30 p.m.

About the Nazareth College Department of Art

The Nazareth College Department of Art offers undergraduate programs in studio art, art education, visual communication design, and art history. The College offers graduate programs in art education and art therapy.

In the past decade, Nazareth has built two state-of-the-art galleries to serve the College and the community. Exhibitions in the Arts Center Gallery and Colacino Gallery are free of charge and open to the public. For additional information, please visit www.naz.edu/art.

About the Colacino Gallery

Established through the generous support of Margaret Colacino, artist and art educator, the Colacino Gallery serves as a cultural and educational resource for Nazareth students as well as the greater Rochester community. Its goal is to complement the liberal arts by fostering critical thinking, intellectual diversity, visual literacy, and aesthetic values. In addition to exhibitions generated in-house, artists are invited to submit proposals for solo or small group shows. The Colacino Gallery is located in the Art Department wing of the Arts Center complex on the second floor. Gallery hours are: Wednesday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m. For additional information, please visit www.naz.edu/art/colacino-art-gallery or call the automated information line: 585-389-5073.

About Nazareth College

Nazareth is a coeducational, independent college on a suburban campus just outside Rochester, N.Y. The College challenges students to rise to their potential with a liberal arts and sciences foundation, professional programs, experiential learning, and an innovative curriculum that addresses the current and emerging needs of the world - ranging from economics to physical therapy to environmental science. With more than 40 undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs, a vibrant arts center and a variety of athletics, clubs and organizations, Nazareth prepares students to be successful professionals and engaged citizens. For more information, visit www.naz.edu.

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