Methodist University is unveiling a unique video art exhibit that is free and open to the public next month.
MU’s Division of Fine & Performing Arts will be hosting an Opening Reception and debuting a screening of The Passing by the late video artist Bill Viola at the David McCune International Art Gallery on Saturday, Nov. 22 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Additional screenings will be held Nov. 23 and Dec. 6, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and all the screenings/reception are free for anyone to attend.
Created by Viola — who died in July — The Passing hauntingly travels the terrains of the conscious, the subconscious, and the desert landscapes of the Southwest, melding sleep, dreams, and the drama of waking life into a stunning masterpiece.
Viola places himself at the center of the personal exploration of altered time and space by representing mortality in the forms of a glistening newborn baby, his deceased mother, and the artist himself, floating and submerged under water.
“The reconsideration of this vital work is of timely importance,” said Andrew Prieto, MU’s assistant professor of art and curator of visual art exhibitions, who organized the exhibit in collaboration with Electronic Arts Intermix and Bill Viola Studio.
“Not only due to the artist’s passing, but for its spiritual significance in these troublesome times. The Passing reminds us that our time here is finite and invites us to look deeper at our lives in the world around us.”
Methodist University’s Division of Fine & Performing Arts includes various undergraduate programs including Art, Art Education, and Graphic Design.
Since its opening in 2010, the David McCune International Gallery has been Fayetteville’s premiere art venue, featuring works from traveling exhibitions (Warhol, Picasso, Rembrandt, and more), fine art on loan from museum collections throughout the world, and work by Methodist University students.
Funding for this program is provided by The William Frederick Bethune Fund for the Arts of Cumberland Community Foundation, Inc.
For questions regarding the exhibit, email Prieto at aprieto@methodist.edu.

(Graphic courtesy of Methodist University)