Laura Heller will be showcasing a series of seven mixed media collages this July at Hutchins Library. The exhibit opened on Thursday, June 28th and continues through July. The exhibit features large canvas-based collages which feature a variety of media to portray the seven primary chakras of Hindu tradition. The artwork attempts to explain each chakra's elements, symbolism, and use in every day life.

A recent temporary employee of the college and the library, Heller has also exhibited her photography in the library during the summer of 2005. Before working at Berea College, Heller lived and worked in Jackson and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, while pursuing a Master's in Library and Information Science degree at the University of Southern Mississippi. Her interest in mixed media collages hail back to her undergraduate study at the University of Mississippi where she often visited Southside Gallery which showcased local artwork. While there she was inspired by the artwork of her creative writing teacher, Blair Hobbs.

Heller, who was born in North Carolina but was raised in central Mississippi, now lives in Berea, Kentucky and works for the Appalachian College Association. She also writes poetry and anticipates publishing a small book of poetry in the near future about people who lived and died in Lexington, Kentucky, during the 1800s and 1900s.

She says that her artistic vision “is to explore new avenues for explaining and experiencing the world around her, be it nature, religion, culture, and people.” For more information, visit Heller’s website.