The Franklin College Art Department welcomes its second guest artist exhibit of the 2022-2023 academic year to campus in February. The exhibition is titled Painting with Fabric.

Joel Fremion will exhibit his work in the Elba L. & Gene Portteus Branigin Atrium, located in the Johnson Center for Fine Arts. He will open the exhibit with a lecture about his work and process at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 6, in the Henderson Conference Room, located on the second floor of the Johnson Center for Fine Arts. An opening reception will follow the lecture. The public is invited to view Fremion’s work at this free event.

Fremion is an award-winning, nationally recognized artist living in Fort Wayne. After growing up in his grandparents’ upholstery/fabric shop, and being influenced as the son of an interior designer, Fremion’s early college education centered around architectural and interior design. As he explored the fine arts, particularly painting, he eventually created his own technique of fabric collage. This very tactile artwork is an intricate blend of fabric and leather to create collages that are then further enhanced with painted details. The result is remarkably detailed images that startle the eye and intrigue the mind.

Fremion has received numerous awards for his artwork, including a Jury Prize of Distinction in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s Indiana Artists 86th Annual Exhibit, a Best of Category, 2-D Mixed Award in the Fairview Heights, Illinois Midwest Salute to the Arts and a Best of Show in the South Bend “For the Love of Art” Exhibit. He has also received several awards from the Hoosier Salon, including Best Work, First-Time Exhibitor in 1992 to the Jury Prize of Distinction in 2012. He has enjoyed a long and prosperous career in the creative arts.