The Guide

This exhibition of ink drawings and fiber-based sculpture explores the relationship between body and mind. A special artist talk and reception with light refreshments will be held in the Artspace Gallery on October 6, starting at 6:00 pm.

Leah Smith thinks about deep time, embodied thought, and our place in the natural world through an artistic practice encompassing drawing, sculpture, and fiber arts. After growing up in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains near Denver, Colorado, she fell in love with exploring the green, worn-down hills of Appalachia during her college years, and now lives and works in the small town of Canton, North Carolina.

She says: “I am fascinated by the way the body is a part of the mind - we humans think with our hands, and through our tools and materials as much as we do with our brains. The process of weaving and working with fiber in particular is a touchstone in this work. Twisted cordage (string) is one of the very oldest technologies, and the ancient art of ordering threads into fabric has influenced and informed practically every technology that came after it, from writing to the computer.

The drawings recall both the wandering line of handwriting and the grid of woven textiles, while playing on the interaction of rigid, structured form and the imperfections of the handmade. The sculptures work with the possibilities of balance between hard and soft, weight and tension. I am interested in calling into question what is the frame; and what is the content built over it or within it; and when is that relationship inverted or ambiguous?”

October 2 through November 21

North Las Vegas Campus -- Artspace Gallery

This exhibition of ink drawings and fiber-based sculpture explores the relationship between body and mind. A special artist talk and reception with light refreshments will be held in the Artspace Gallery on October 6, starting at 6:00 pm.

Leah Smith thinks about deep time, embodied thought, and our place in the natural world through an artistic practice encompassing drawing, sculpture, and fiber arts. After growing up in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains near Denver, Colorado, she fell in love with exploring the green, worn-down hills of Appalachia during her college years, and now lives and works in the small town of Canton, North Carolina.

She says: “I am fascinated by the way the body is a part of the mind - we humans think with our hands, and through our tools and materials as much as we do with our brains. The process of weaving and working with fiber in particular is a touchstone in this work. Twisted cordage (string) is one of the very oldest technologies, and the ancient art of ordering threads into fabric has influenced and informed practically every technology that came after it, from writing to the computer.

The drawings recall both the wandering line of handwriting and the grid of woven textiles, while playing on the interaction of rigid, structured form and the imperfections of the handmade. The sculptures work with the possibilities of balance between hard and soft, weight and tension. I am interested in calling into question what is the frame; and what is the content built over it or within it; and when is that relationship inverted or ambiguous?”

October 2 through November 21

North Las Vegas Campus -- Artspace Gallery

This exhibition of ink drawings and fiber-based sculpture explores the relationship between body and mind. A special artist talk and reception with light refreshments will be held in the Artspace Gallery on October 6, starting at 6:00 pm.

Leah Smith thinks about deep time, embodied thought, and our place in the natural world through an artistic practice encompassing drawing, sculpture, and fiber arts. After growing up in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains near Denver, Colorado, she fell in love with exploring the green, worn-down hills of Appalachia during her college years, and now lives and works in the small town of Canton, North Carolina.

She says: “I am fascinated by the way the body is a part of the mind - we humans think with our hands, and through our tools and materials as much as we do with our brains. The process of weaving and working with fiber in particular is a touchstone in this work. Twisted cordage (string) is one of the very oldest technologies, and the ancient art of ordering threads into fabric has influenced and informed practically every technology that came after it, from writing to the computer.

The drawings recall both the wandering line of handwriting and the grid of woven textiles, while playing on the interaction of rigid, structured form and the imperfections of the handmade. The sculptures work with the possibilities of balance between hard and soft, weight and tension. I am interested in calling into question what is the frame; and what is the content built over it or within it; and when is that relationship inverted or ambiguous?”

October 2 through November 21

North Las Vegas Campus -- Artspace Gallery

These sculptural works by Wisconsin artist Amanda Langer ask the viewer to consider the relationship between humanity and the natural world. She explores the nature of conflict as a simplification between two entities that are wildly different and appear to have nothing to do with each other. She questions how the differences between the materials reflect the differences that humans experience, whether that be within individual selves, between persons, or amidst groups–whether in terms of race, religion, or political ideology.

Curious about how people identify each material with extremes on a spectrum, Langer attempts to show that the differences do not have to be in conflict and that it might be to the highest benefit of both that the differences exist, to show how the unique features of each enhance the best parts of the other, and that by being in combination, the result is much more powerful than either one could be on its own.

Amanda Langer studied sculpture and natural resources at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2017. She spent the following years working in ecological restoration and landscaping with native plants. Her artwork is informed by her experiences in this field and is especially focused on exploring conflict between industry and nature, systems and people, and within the self.

October 9 through November 19

Gallery talk and closing reception: Thursday on November 19

North Las Vegas Campus -- Fine Arts Gallery

This exhibition of ink drawings and fiber-based sculpture explores the relationship between body and mind. A special artist talk and reception with light refreshments will be held in the Artspace Gallery on October 6, starting at 6:00 pm.

Leah Smith thinks about deep time, embodied thought, and our place in the natural world through an artistic practice encompassing drawing, sculpture, and fiber arts. After growing up in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains near Denver, Colorado, she fell in love with exploring the green, worn-down hills of Appalachia during her college years, and now lives and works in the small town of Canton, North Carolina.

She says: “I am fascinated by the way the body is a part of the mind - we humans think with our hands, and through our tools and materials as much as we do with our brains. The process of weaving and working with fiber in particular is a touchstone in this work. Twisted cordage (string) is one of the very oldest technologies, and the ancient art of ordering threads into fabric has influenced and informed practically every technology that came after it, from writing to the computer.

The drawings recall both the wandering line of handwriting and the grid of woven textiles, while playing on the interaction of rigid, structured form and the imperfections of the handmade. The sculptures work with the possibilities of balance between hard and soft, weight and tension. I am interested in calling into question what is the frame; and what is the content built over it or within it; and when is that relationship inverted or ambiguous?”

October 2 through November 21

North Las Vegas Campus -- Artspace Gallery

These sculptural works by Wisconsin artist Amanda Langer ask the viewer to consider the relationship between humanity and the natural world. She explores the nature of conflict as a simplification between two entities that are wildly different and appear to have nothing to do with each other. She questions how the differences between the materials reflect the differences that humans experience, whether that be within individual selves, between persons, or amidst groups–whether in terms of race, religion, or political ideology.

Curious about how people identify each material with extremes on a spectrum, Langer attempts to show that the differences do not have to be in conflict and that it might be to the highest benefit of both that the differences exist, to show how the unique features of each enhance the best parts of the other, and that by being in combination, the result is much more powerful than either one could be on its own.

Amanda Langer studied sculpture and natural resources at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2017. She spent the following years working in ecological restoration and landscaping with native plants. Her artwork is informed by her experiences in this field and is especially focused on exploring conflict between industry and nature, systems and people, and within the self.

October 9 through November 19

Gallery talk and closing reception: Thursday on November 19

North Las Vegas Campus -- Fine Arts Gallery

These sculptural works by Wisconsin artist Amanda Langer ask the viewer to consider the relationship between humanity and the natural world. She explores the nature of conflict as a simplification between two entities that are wildly different and appear to have nothing to do with each other. She questions how the differences between the materials reflect the differences that humans experience, whether that be within individual selves, between persons, or amidst groups–whether in terms of race, religion, or political ideology.

Curious about how people identify each material with extremes on a spectrum, Langer attempts to show that the differences do not have to be in conflict and that it might be to the highest benefit of both that the differences exist, to show how the unique features of each enhance the best parts of the other, and that by being in combination, the result is much more powerful than either one could be on its own.

Amanda Langer studied sculpture and natural resources at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2017. She spent the following years working in ecological restoration and landscaping with native plants. Her artwork is informed by her experiences in this field and is especially focused on exploring conflict between industry and nature, systems and people, and within the self.

October 9 through November 19

Gallery talk and closing reception: Thursday on November 19

North Las Vegas Campus -- Fine Arts Gallery

These sculptural works by Wisconsin artist Amanda Langer ask the viewer to consider the relationship between humanity and the natural world. She explores the nature of conflict as a simplification between two entities that are wildly different and appear to have nothing to do with each other. She questions how the differences between the materials reflect the differences that humans experience, whether that be within individual selves, between persons, or amidst groups–whether in terms of race, religion, or political ideology.

Curious about how people identify each material with extremes on a spectrum, Langer attempts to show that the differences do not have to be in conflict and that it might be to the highest benefit of both that the differences exist, to show how the unique features of each enhance the best parts of the other, and that by being in combination, the result is much more powerful than either one could be on its own.

Amanda Langer studied sculpture and natural resources at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2017. She spent the following years working in ecological restoration and landscaping with native plants. Her artwork is informed by her experiences in this field and is especially focused on exploring conflict between industry and nature, systems and people, and within the self.

October 9 through November 19

Gallery talk and closing reception: Thursday on November 19

North Las Vegas Campus -- Fine Arts Gallery

These sculptural works by Wisconsin artist Amanda Langer ask the viewer to consider the relationship between humanity and the natural world. She explores the nature of conflict as a simplification between two entities that are wildly different and appear to have nothing to do with each other. She questions how the differences between the materials reflect the differences that humans experience, whether that be within individual selves, between persons, or amidst groups–whether in terms of race, religion, or political ideology.

Curious about how people identify each material with extremes on a spectrum, Langer attempts to show that the differences do not have to be in conflict and that it might be to the highest benefit of both that the differences exist, to show how the unique features of each enhance the best parts of the other, and that by being in combination, the result is much more powerful than either one could be on its own.

Amanda Langer studied sculpture and natural resources at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2017. She spent the following years working in ecological restoration and landscaping with native plants. Her artwork is informed by her experiences in this field and is especially focused on exploring conflict between industry and nature, systems and people, and within the self.

October 9 through November 19

Gallery talk and closing reception: Thursday on November 19

North Las Vegas Campus -- Fine Arts Gallery

These sculptural works by Wisconsin artist Amanda Langer ask the viewer to consider the relationship between humanity and the natural world. She explores the nature of conflict as a simplification between two entities that are wildly different and appear to have nothing to do with each other. She questions how the differences between the materials reflect the differences that humans experience, whether that be within individual selves, between persons, or amidst groups–whether in terms of race, religion, or political ideology.

Curious about how people identify each material with extremes on a spectrum, Langer attempts to show that the differences do not have to be in conflict and that it might be to the highest benefit of both that the differences exist, to show how the unique features of each enhance the best parts of the other, and that by being in combination, the result is much more powerful than either one could be on its own.

Amanda Langer studied sculpture and natural resources at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2017. She spent the following years working in ecological restoration and landscaping with native plants. Her artwork is informed by her experiences in this field and is especially focused on exploring conflict between industry and nature, systems and people, and within the self.

October 9 through November 19

Gallery talk and closing reception: Thursday on November 19

North Las Vegas Campus -- Fine Arts Gallery