The La Salle University Art Museum’s latest special exhibition brings self-expression to the forefront.

Beyond 2D: Surface Play with Paper, on view until May 30, celebrates creativity and invention through contemporary art. The exhibition features 19 works on paper illustrating the adventurous and playful exploration of surface.

The gallery’s works utilize layered collages, chine collé, embossed prints, collagraphs, carborundum etchings, and other mixed media to tell stories of landscapes, historical events and more.

“As you experience the exhibition, you will encounter both abstract and representational works, as well as works combining various modes of expression,” Klare Scarborough, Ph.D., director and chief curator of the La Salle Art Museum, explained. “You will learn about the artists’ lives and their creative responses to politics, religion, history, culture and travel. Hopefully, you will find works that resonate with you, invite you to look closer, and inspire your own creativity.”

Undergraduate student interns who helped bring the exhibition to life over the last few years provided written contributions next to some of the works. Scarborough aid pieces were collected through donations and purchases.

Scarborough wanted to create a bright and cheerful exhibition that visitors could step into during the uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic and find a positive distraction through dissecting the intricate layers of each piece.

So far, attendees have picked up on the good vibes.

“We had a great opening response during Homecoming and Family Weekend,” Scarborough said of the exhibition, which is open to the public.

— Meg Ryan