Barry McNamara  |   Published January 11, 2023

‘A Pandemic Perspective’

Another silver lining of COVID was the artwork created by Trina Smith, which will be on display Jan. 13-Feb. 10 at Monmouth College.

MONMOUTH, Ill. – The pandemic that began three years ago caused a lot of people to have a lot of free time on their hands.

'A PANDEMIC PERSPECTIVE': Trina Smith painted this view of her home, as seen through a gl... 'A PANDEMIC PERSPECTIVE': Trina Smith painted this view of her home, as seen through a glass block. Artist Trina Smith, who is also a professor of painting at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, used her extra time to create the works in her new exhibit, “A Pandemic Perspective,” which will go on display Jan. 13 in the Len G. Everett Gallery on the upper level in Monmouth College’s Hewes Library.

A closing reception will be held on Feb. 10, beginning at 3 p.m., with Smith speaking about her work at 3:30 p.m. The exhibit, reception and gallery talk are all free and open to the public.

The complexities of the social and political environment have always been at the heart of Smith’s work.

“Reflections on navigating the literal and conceptual social landscape in my previous work have now shifted to the experiential dynamic of pandemic life,” said Smith, who holds a master of fine arts degree from the University of Wisconsin. “The warped and altered reality of the current times shape the decisions in the work with an ever-evolving response.”

Smith has been represented in many group and solo shows across the United States from Central Washington University, to Maine College of the Arts, and to Brooklyn, Chicago and Seattle.

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