Ken Mazzu, artist and teacher, graduated from Lamar University in 1992 with a BFA in Studio Art. Now, he has a solo exhibition, “Ken Mazzu: Wetlands,” on display at the Dishman Art Museum.
“In some ways, I’ve come full circle,” Mazzu said. “It’s a wonderful experience.”
When Mazzu first began studying at Lamar, he was a commercial art design major.
“By the time we started doing the cutting and pasting, it was difficult,” he said. “I was actually taking the life drawing class, and I knew from what the advanced students were doing in the past that was one thing I wanted to get out of art school — to be able to draw.”
It was then that Mazzu said he switched to studio art, finding his passion for drawing and painting.
Looking back at his time at LU, Mazzu said he has many fond memories.
“The faculty was very giving,” he said. “Then the student community and the involvement with the art department and the other places in town, that sort of community, is all really important.”
The college’s annual fundraiser Le Grand Bal was another positive experience due to the early professional opportunities it provided, Mazzu said, like teaching students how to price their artwork.
Mazzu said if he could speak to himself when he was beginning his career, his main piece of advice would be to make good use of time and to be efficient. For students just starting out in the art field, his advice is to find support and to not limit their options.
“They need to try to learn all they can,” he said. “Listen to and educate their parents, and if moral support is something they need, try to get them involved.”
His other piece of advice for students is to finish what they start and find bliss in their craft. He said if students follow their bliss, hope opens new doors and brings more opportunities.
One of the biggest lessons Mazzu has learned throughout his career, he said, is trying to stay the course.
“There are life detours, professional detours,” Mazzu said. “Try to keep the target in sight no matter what.”
Mazzu is working on a book project with several artists which consists of visiting ranches around Texas. Each artist will produce work in their own medium to capture the location. Mazzu has two ranches on the Texas coast to visit. After the project is completed, Mazzu said there may be a traveling exhibition to display the work.
As for the current exhibition, Mazzu said he hopes it provides a recharge for people who may need one.
“I hope they can come up and feel the salt air and the coastal environment,” he said. “There is an element of peace and tranquility.”
The exhibition features oil and watercolor paintings downstairs, such as his work “A Freshwater Pond, Near Galveston Bay.” The oil painting uses perspective to draw the viewer’s attention. Six of the watercolors in the exhibition are displayed together in a grid format.
Upstairs, the exhibition features Mazzu’s charcoal drawings. The works’ shading and contrast catches the viewers’ eye, letting them experience the wetlands in a different way than the downstairs paintings.
“Ken Mazzu: Wetlands” will be on exhibition through Nov. 13. The Dishman Art Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, along with select Saturdays.