Students will have the opportunity to meet some of the newest members of MU’s faculty through their artwork in the “Work by New Faculty” exhibit, which opens next week.

The exhibit at the George Caleb Bingham Gallery will display the work of new faculty members Joe Pintz and Kristen Martincic, as well as pieces from returning faculty member Claire Stigliani. The exhibit is full of diversity, with media ranging from simple pottery to swimsuits.

Martincic, who will teach ceramics and printmaking, said sharing her work with students is especially important in setting up a higher level of communications with students.

“As professors of art, we are a cross between the profession of teaching and the profession of being an artist,” she said. “Having our work on display in the gallery gives students a chance to see what it takes, because it is a labor of love. It is more than an occupation. It’s a lifestyle.”

The work of artist Pintz explores the meaning of a theme he calls “complex simplicity.”

Pintz, who will be teaching beginning ceramics and 3D design, earned his Master of Fine Art and met his wife and fellow artist Martincic at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His artwork came together during his graduate studies when he started researching his family background and other cultural objects.

“When your work is about things that are useful, you strip away a lot of excess,” Pintz said. “The artwork in this show references utilitarian objects, things like bread pans, muffin tins and animal feeding troughs. Their usefulness creates a very specific role in our lives.”

He said as an artist, he draws much meaning from this simplicity.

“I find that there can be a lot of complexity within simplicity,” Pintz said. “Like fine wine or a really wonderful heirloom tomato, it can be both simple and have many layers.”

Martincic said her newest collection stems from swimwear and locations surrounding water.

“In this series of work, I have been exploring this connection between the body and water,” she said. “I create paper bathing suits that recall a time when modesty required apparel to cover up more of the female figure.”

Martincic also earned her MFA at UNL and said that in her artwork, she seeks to explore the fine line between what society does and does not find acceptable.

“Context plays a significant role in how a bathing suit or undergarment is perceived by oneself and others,” she said. “While it is generally considered acceptable to wear a bathing suit in public, being seen in just underwear is taboo. However, both garments perform the same basic function.”

Claire Stigliani, a returning faculty member, will complete the exhibit with her feminine-themed works inspired by everything from crime shows to fairytales. Stigliani’s work uses the female form to explore current culture and folklore of the past, as well as herself. Drawing inspiration from female influences and growing up in a variety of places around the world, Stigliani uses the past and present to create her art.

“I don’t know what it is about fairy tales that have always captivated me,” she said. “Fairytales seem to span generations and talk about cultural normality. These stories lay out an old sort of archetype for happiness, especially for women.”

The “Work by New Faculty” exhibit will be at the Bingham Gallery from Aug. 29 to Sept. 8. A special reception will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1.