The Masur Museum of Art presents "Earth," an exhibition by artist Christiane Drieling. This exhibit is on display through October 21 in the Upper River Gallery. It is free and open to the public. There will be a public reception and an artist talk held on Thursday, September 21, 5:30-7:30 PM.

Christiane Drieling is a collage artist based in Ruston, Louisiana. Born in Germany, she moved to the United States in 2001 and spent time living in Chicago, Illinois. With a master's degree in Sociology, Psychology, and German Literature, Drieling initially focused on creating whimsical and playful handcrafted objects based on German storytelling themes. Her collections of hand puppets, marionettes, small ornaments, and toys gained recognition at juried art events in and around Chicago. In recent years, Drieling has shifted her focus to collage, exploring themes of individual dilemmas and interpersonal conflicts, including culture clashes, political issues, and societal visions. Her thought-provoking work has garnered attention and praise, establishing her as a successful and respected artist in the contemporary art scene.

"A few years ago, I received a nearly complete but outdated set of the “LIFE World Library” books from a close friend. Based on these hardcover backs, I have created a series of works focusing on different aspects of how we view our planet, how we feel about it, and how we treat it. The series consists of 24 pieces, one for each hour of the day. The day begins with an end and ends with a beginning. There really is no particular order to the pieces; each work begins and ends in itself. To create the images for the “Earth” series, I have worked with collage techniques, mainly using paper elements from various sources. My goal was to keep the majority of the images simple and the original surfaces as visible as possible."