Gallery Opening: 'Gray Area' Draws on Life's Uncertainty

Misty Morrison was 27 – and healthy – when her heart stopped.

That was this summer. And though doctors do not know what caused the cardiac arrest, and it has not recurred, she was given less than a 1 percent chance of survival.

With that future before her, Morrison turned to art, focusing on herself, the human form, the oh so fragile body.

And that work goes on exhibit today at the , 744 Long Hill Road, Groton. The reception for “Gray Area” runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

MORRISON, WHO IS FROM OHIO, met Lighthouse Gallery curator Chris Rose in 2002 at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts.  Morrison was considering becoming a student – which she did – while Rose was leaving his job at the school.

Morrison was in the area a year ago, and she and Rose ran into each other at a restaurant in Niantic. They began talking about the possibility of a show, and “Gray Area” was born.

MORRISON EARNED her bachelor of fine arts degree from Lyme in 2007, and has been accepted into the master of fine arts program in printmaking at Kent State University, starting this fall.

In her artist’s statement, Morrison says “My work is about life and growth. I use it as both therapy and documentation. In it, I combine my own identity with my formalist training with a focus on expressionist ideas.”

Morrison’s work in the show is haunting. The repetition of her face, along with the knowledge of her medical situation, creates an atmosphere that’s ethereal and deeply grounded at once.

The portraits involve relief printing, mixed media and lithography. In the booklet that accompanies the show, Rose writes that Morrison “celebrates the community of printmakers and the collaborative atmosphere she experiences in the studios where she produces her work.”

This is Morrison’s first one-person show. Prices for the work range from $50 to $225.

THE GALLERY AT LIGHTHOUSE is part of the , and provides opportunities for students in the program to interact with the community and develop social and life skills. Part of the purchase price of the art goes to the Voc-Ed Center.

The gallery is open Monday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturdays by appointment.