NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

11/08/2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES-An exhibition of work by the late Orville J. Hanchey will be on display in the gallery named in his honor at Northwestern State University through Dec. 15.

The show of paintings by Hanchey, who was head of the Art Department at Northwestern for 23 years from 1953 until his retirement in 1976, came about when murals by the artist were donated to the visual arts program at NSU, according to Dr. Roberta L. Walters, assistant professor of art history and Gallery Director.

Hanchey painted the scenic murals in the living room of a house on Texas Street in Natchitoches, which he designed, built and occupied until sometime in 1945. They remained on the walls of the house until it changed hands recently and the previous owner's wishes to leave the paintings as a legacy to the Art Department of the University were honored. In addition to the murals, a watercolor/pastel landscape painting by Hanchey was also donated.

Several friends and family members have loaned works by Hanchey, who died in July 1997. They include watercolor, oil, acrylic and mixed media paintings. Among contributors are Frances and R.H. Outland, Ursula and Roger Williams, Betty and Walter Ledet, Rachael and George Gardiner, Rivers and Elwanda Murphy, the Immaculate Conception Church, and City Bank, all of Natchitoches.

Hanchey, a native of DeRidder, was the youngest of six children. He received his undergraduate degree from State Normal College (now Northwestern) and shortly thereafter in 1936 joined the faculty as an instructor. In 1937, he left to pursue a master's degree at LSU, returning to teach until 1948 when he joined the Louisiana College faculty for two years followed by three at the University of Southwestern Louisiana.

He led NSU's Art Department when the commercial art program began, which changed the emphasis to professional art from art for the teaching certificate. The new gallery was dedicated in 1983, as the Orville J. Hanchey Art Gallery.

Gallery hours are weekdays from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.

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