Visual Artist Series Kicks Off Feb. 9

Leslie is a professor of fine arts and chairs the Visual Arts Center at Johnson State College in Vermont where he has taught painting and drawing since 1984. He has received numerous honors and awards for his work, including visual artist fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Vermont Arts Council.

"After staring at more than 500 years of history of painting on rectangles, several years ago I escaped to painting circles," said Leslie. "I have used the circular composition to explore issues of time and space. As the work took on a sequential narrative, I began folding the paintings into various book forms. I have since specialized in making limited edition and one-of-a-kind artist's books."

His exploration of time and space has taken him to several residencies on the Arctic Circle, including Akureyri, Iceland and Kotzebue, Alaska. His most recent artist's book, Space + Time , was published by Nexus Press, part of the Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center.

Leslie, who holds a master's of fine arts from the University of Pennsylvania, will present his books along with other associated works during his visit to Plattsburgh State.

The Visual Artist Series, sponsored by the Student Association and the Campus Arts Council, is free and open to the public.
 
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