Gallery • 22 Photos

Zoe Sissac

Most ULM students tend to stay on campus, but “Be the Exception” and check out Julia Crews’ paintings. From Aug. 22 to Nov. 2, the Masur Museum is showing Crews’ solo exhibition “I’ll Be Right with You.” Any “Low Expectations” for Crews’ art will quickly be replaced by astonishment.
Masur Museum’s gallery assistant Nicolas Pepper described Crews’ life and connections to Monroe.
“Julie is from North Carolina, but she spent many years in Ruston teaching at Louisiana Tech. She is very well known in the local area for her work. She also has ties at ULM with a couple of the art professors there,” Pepper said. “The reason why our curator chose Julie specifically was because her work really stood out to him, and of course, we always want to push for more local artists.”
With works entitled “I Can Do Hard Things” and “Wake Me Please When This is Over,” Crews created several pieces that describe her “ongoing narrative of the pursuit of living a well-curated life.” In an interview, she expressed her hope that every viewer finds a piece that resonates with them.
For her oil painting “I Can Do Hard Things,” Crew mixed shades of blue to make a dynamic background that perfectly contrasts with the detailed worker bee in the center.
The title of the painting could imply that despite a worker bee’s seemingly insignificant life, it plays an essential role in the hive. Worker bees accomplish tasks not for themselves but for the survival of the entire hive.
Another of Crews’ oil paintings, “The Weight of the Wait,” features a mixture of whites and blues to portray water. Just below the surface of the water lies a woman in the fetal position. Her whole body, except for her hair, is underwater.
The Weight of the Wait could represent the anxiety and anticipation that results from impending news.
ULM students appreciated the local artist’s showcase. Senior pre-pharmacy major Katelyn Smith shared her favorite Julia Crews painting.
“My favorite of Julia Crews’ artworks was ‘Being Wanted and Being Needed are Two Different Things,'” Smith said. “The title of the piece makes me think of comforting someone, which matches the blazing fire since fire fills a person with warmth. Being wanted will bring happiness, while being needed will cause the flames to die out. After all, they only want you because they need something.”
The Masur Museum of Art provides the community with visual experiences unique to Monroe, inviting local artists to display their works. Admission to the museum is always free, honoring its pledge to make art accessible to everyone.
“Don’t Suffer in Advance” and view the exhibit at the Masur Museum before its replacement on Nov. 3.