Global Realities/Spirituality Converge in Art Exhibit

Mixed media by Mary Lou Weaver Houser
Mixed media by Mary Lou Weaver Houser: "Edge effects" (bamboo/glass) IMG_1939: "Alive & at home in this world" (bamboo/fiber/ textile/glass)

Mary Lou Weaver Houser of Lancaster, Pa., has long been fascinated with bamboo, bones and family history.

All three elements converge in an exhibit by the artist, "Two Movements in Bamboo: bone of my bone and edgewalking," that goes on display Saturday, Feb. 13 in EMU’s Hartzer Library Art Gallery.

Her bamboo and mixed media series "imagines standing at an angle to society in order to see ‘what is’ and ‘what could be,’" according to the artist.

"These explorations consider the dilemmas of 21st-century culture and how I, as a contemporary artist, choose to live with those on the margins," Weaver Houser notes. "The global realities provide a provocative moment to break free of destructive practices, to assess what gives life and what denies it. This evolutionary opportunity demands feisty creativity . . . from each of us."

Mary Lou Weaver Houser
Mary Lou Weaver Houser

Weaver Houser believes that the creative act is "a communal process . . . and that artmaking is story, rooted in generational activity and relationship."

About the artist

In addition to a long career both teaching and creating art, Weaver Houser is a certified spiritual director, gardener, parent of two adult children and a grandmother. She and her husband Rod operate Herrbrook Farm Retreat (herrbrook.com), a facility for personal or small group spiritual renewal near Lancaster.

The Collegeville, Pa., native attended EMU 1962-64 and received undergraduate certification in English and art education from Oregon State University and Millersville (PA) University. She earned a master’s degree in holistic spirituality and spiritual direction from Chestnut Hill (PA) College in 2001. A member of Spiritual Directors International, she is active in leadership and education at the Community Mennonite Church of Lancaster.

More info

The exhibit is open for viewing daily during regular library hours through Mar. 15. Admission to the gallery is free.