OXFORD, Miss. — Paula Temple, professor of art, delivers
the Liberal Arts Faculty Forum address at the University of
Mississippi Tuesday (Oct. 16).
The 4 p.m. program in the Tupelo Room at Barnard
Observatory is free and open to the public. Temple plans to
take questions from the audience, and refreshments will be
served.
Forum coordinator Jan Murray, associate dean of liberal
arts and professor of art, said she is pleased that Temple
accepted the invitation to speak.
“Professor Temple is a gifted painter, whose visual works
communicate boldly and hopefully about the nature of the
human condition,” Murray said. “She brings us a unique
perspective on the nexus between art and science.”
During the forum, Temple is slated to exhibit her works
that detail personal and serious health issues. One of her
paintings, titled “Visualizing a Detached Retina: An
Illustrated History of an Art and Science Collaboration,”
documents her own battle with retinal detachment, a serious
eye disorder that can lead to vision loss or blindness if
not treated, she said.
“This series shows what a detached retina looks like as it
happens,” Temple said. “It happened to me, and each piece
shows what my world looked like as I went through
treatment. These are very realistic images.”
Temple has also been involved with breast cancer awareness.
Her painting “Light, Grace and Spirit” captured top honors
in a national competition sponsored by the American Cancer
Society and is displayed at the society’s headquarters in
Atlanta, Ga. One year after completing painting, Temple was
diagnosed with breast cancer.
“Having artwork that shows others what’s going on for a
person battling cancer is very personal and often more
effective than words,” said Temple, whose cancer is in
remission.
While going through treatment, Temple completed her latest
work, “Lilly Oncology on Canvas,” for an international
competition.
Besides showcasing her work during the forum, Temple said
she plans to address protecting the integrity of one’s work
while allowing it to be used to help people with serious
health conditions.
Temple, who joined UM’s art faculty in 1985, teaches
graphic design, figure drawing and water color. She is an
exhibiting artist throughout the United States and the
Eastern Caribbean, most recently at the West Clinic in
Memphis, Tenn. Temple has been a visiting artist in the
Eastern Caribbean and artist-in-residence in Cortona,
Italy.
For more information on the Liberal Arts Faculty Forum or
to request assistance related to a disability, contact Jan
Murray at 662-915-7178 or jmurray@olemiss.edu. For more
information on the Department of Art at Ole Miss, visit
http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/art/.