Practice What You Teach: UMW Galleries’ Faculty and Staff Exhibit
This fall, classroom magic blends with UMW Galleries. University of Mary Washington faculty and staff present their newest exhibition, showcasing their unique artistic visions in a show titled “Practice What You Teach.”
Tucked inside duPont Gallery, ceramics and paintings coat each corner of the room, while statues and woodwork fill the floor. A small television is even mounted on the wall, displaying the beauty of glitch and distortion. In this overflow of creative research, faculty and staff show students, visitors and fellow artists how their lesson plans take shape outside the classroom.
One of those artists is Adjunct Instructor of Studio Art Larry Hinkle ’00, with two pieces on display. “Reading Chaise” combines fabric from a custom upholstery shop with cherry wood Hinkle milled from a fallen tree in his backyard. The long sitting chair, complete with black-and-white cushioning, took months of mock-ups before Hinkle settled on its final design. He wanted the piece to feel both comfortable and graceful — the perfect place to put up one’s feet while diving into a good book. “A chair is only as good as it sits,” he says. “Furniture can be artful.”
His second piece, “Burn Baby Burn,” features a wood frame with a candle shaped like a babydoll head and a box of matches underneath. Hinkle describes the piece as a “shadow box or lantern,” leaving room for interpretation — beholders may feel a sense of nostalgia or a desire to ignite change.
Hinkle’s work also connects his past and present at Mary Washington. A UMW alum, he made the babydoll head candle while pursuing a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree. Years later, as a professor, he created the wood frame as a demonstration for his woodworking class. “Burn Baby Burn” also mirrors creations from his time as an undergraduate, he said, and “Reading Chaise” is meant to inspire current and future students to immerse themselves in the world of woodworking, a course he now teaches.
Hinkle isn’t the only artist bringing his classroom into the gallery. Assistant Professor of Studio Art Coorain Devin does the same with four textile banners.
The first two, “Glizzy Glamour #1” and “Glizzy Glamour #2,” feature hot dogs printed on silk with thread and vinyl. The grilled sausages, placed on tin foil, appear to protrude from the silk, extending beyond the fabric itself.
The other two works, “Cheeto angel baby explosion (traversing heaven and hell)” and “Homemade Pesticide Paradise Pleasures,” are patchworks made with printed photographs on cotton. In “Cheeto angel baby explosion,” symmetrical prints form a star-like shape, placing these popular orange snacks against bright yellow fabric filled with flames and a hidden image of a flying angel. “Homemade Pesticide Paradise Pleasures” shares a similar design but is packed with fruit prints, surrounded by photographs of pinecones, leaves and crocheted blankets.
The works ruminate on the complexity of standard American culture, balancing charm with what Devin calls “repulsiveness.” Foods like hot dogs and Cheetos, they say, are delicious but “can’t be good for you.” Patchworks, like crocheted blankets, can also conjure conflicting meanings. These quilts remind them of their grandmother’s house but are still off-putting because of their texture and tendency to shed.
Devin hopes visitors connect with these familiar items but also ponder the discomfort attached to them. By bringing their work in photography, printmaking and textiles into duPont Gallery, Devin transforms art from the subject of classroom lectures into something students can experience in the real world.
From now until Sunday, Oct. 18, the creations of 11 faculty and staff members will accompany those of Hinkle and Devin at the “Practice What You Teach” exhibition, showcasing a diverse array of artwork alongside sophisticated woodwork and eccentric banners. Guests are also invited back for the Faculty Gallery Talk on Thursday, Oct. 1, from 5 to 6 p.m., in duPont Gallery, where they can hear the artists discuss their research and techniques.
UMW Galleries Fall 2026 Exhibitions
UMW Galleries is presenting four exhibitions this fall. Ridderhof and duPont Gallery are open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Visit the UMW Galleries exhibit web page for more information.
September 10 – October 18
2026 Mid-Atlantic New Painting Biennial
Ridderhof Martin Gallery
Juror Talk with Alexis Assam: October 15 | 5 to 6 p.m. | Digital Auditorium, HCC 136
Practice What You Teach: UMW Faculty and Staff
duPont Gallery
Faculty Gallery Talk: October 1 | 5 to 6 p.m. | duPont Gallery
November 10 – December 7
Opening Receptions: November 10, 5 to 7 p.m.
USA 250: A Print Exchange
Ridderhoff Martin Gallery
Artists’ Round Table: November 19 | 5 to 6 p.m. | Monroe Hall 116
Annual Student Art Exhibition
duPont Gallery
Juror Talk with Richard Rinehart: October 29 | 5 to 6 p.m. | Digital Auditorium, HCC 13
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