SOUTHEAST GRADUATE MAKES NAME FOR HIMSELF AS AN ARTIST

A 1971 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University is making a name for himself as a burgeoning artist.

Paintings of Gary R. Lucy, who earned his bachelor of science degree in art and education at Southeast, are on display in the rotunda of the Old Courthouse in St. Louis.

The exhibit, titled "Inland Waterways: The Way West," continues through Feb. 23.

In conjunction with the showing, the Alumni Association of Southeast Missouri State University is sponsoring a reception to honor Lucy from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday in the Old St. Louis Courthouse. Lucy will present a guided tour of the exhibition, in addition to addressing his background in art.

"I've been at this 20 years," he said. "I will talk about my early development and then the inland waterways system."

Lucy said he will move from piece to piece, discussing the thought pattern behind each.

Lucy's works are displayed on both the first and second floor of the building. Pieces on the first floor represent the final major works of the exhibit, ranging in size from 30-by-48 inches to 6-by-10 feet. Pieces on the second floor represent preliminary pencil and oil studies of each of the final works, Lucy said.

The paintings and prints capture life on the Missouri River and its tributaries when the river was "the way west." Lucy's paintings depict historic river scenes from 1804, when Lewis and Clark began their westward expedition, to 1880, when the railroad reached Fort Benton, Mont. the head of navigation on the Missouri River.

The exhibit is devoted to the history of the United States as it relates to westward expansion using inland waterways. The display is designed to bring a portion of American history to life, including the era of steamboat transportation, river ports and mountain steamers.

"(The exhibit) has increased visitation at the courthouse dramatically," said Sylvia Coleman, curator of exhibits for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. "This is the most popular exhibit we've ever had because it is the most historically significant. (The pieces) are so realistic; they just suck you right in."

People visiting the exhibit "are from all walks of life," she said.

From Nov. 8 to Jan. 23, 26,196 people visited Lucy's exhibit, said a Jefferson National Expansion Memorial representative.

Lucy came upon the idea for the exhibit after gazing out his studio window in Washington, Mo., in 1985 towards the Missouri River. It was then he decided to tell the story about the people of that river. In 1987, after discussing the idea and receiving approval from the Jefferson National Expansion Historical Association and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, Lucy began to paint for the show, which opened last fall.

The exhibit represents a marked change in the direction of his career that until then had been devoted to wildlife subjects.

Just one year out of college in 1972, Lucy decided to become a full-time professional artist after teaching elementary art for one year in the Washington, Mo., school system.

Realizing he was driven to create art, not to teach, Lucy began his career as a self-supporting artist, with his early works focusing on the environment, nature and wildlife.

Placing second in the Federal Duck Stamp Competition in 1973 prompted him to direct his next 12 years to the study of wildlife subjects.

However, in 1985, Lucy's career took a change of course after a friend advised him to work with human figures to gain recognition as an artist.

"I wanted to change the direction of my work about eight years ago," Lucy said. "In the creative process, an artist jumps from one point to another."

"Inland Waterways: The Way West" is his first attempt at this genre.

"I began researching the Missouri river and was amazed at the importance the river played in the development of the West," he said. Work on the exhibit "has been so interesting. It has spilled over into historical significance."

A Caruthersville native, Lucy said his desire to pursue art jelled during his sophomore year at Southeast. He entered college with a mind to study computer science, but a year later, on a whim, enrolled in a drawing class.

"The day I walked into that art building, the first thing I smelled was oil paint from an oil-painting class," he said. "It drew me up the steps. It was the lure of that oil paint that drew me into that building, and I was intoxicated with the creative process going on in there. The instructors were also very good. Southeast is the kind of school that will give you a good background for the future."

Lucy currently is researching a painting he has planned on the engineering and construction of the Eads Bridge in St. Louis in 1873.

For more information, contact Maggie Harris at (314) 425-4468.