Howard Payne University’s David Harmon, professor of art and chair of the Department of Art, and his wife, Susan Harmon, adjunct instructor of art, recently returned from exhibiting 70 pieces of their artwork by invitation from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton.

David Harmon also gave a lecture during the exhibition at UMHB with more than 200 people in attendance. The theme of the lecture was “Our Modernist Mentors: Architecture, Artists, Design and TV.”

“Our works entail abstract painting,” said David Harmon. “My work is on the mark-making process and my wife’s work is based on the content of shattered lives, especially those of women in international countries.”

David Harmon hails from St. Louis, Missouri. Growing up, he was surrounded by teachers and coaches who were artists and encouraged him to be a painter. He received his undergraduate degree from Webster University in St. Louis and his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from Pennsylvania State University in University Park. He always loved to draw and felt that God was using his art and his desire to teach as a calling in his life. David Harmon came to HPU as an art professor and department chair in 2012.

Susan Harmon is from Chicago, Illinois, and received her MFA degree from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro and two Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She was recently honored to create a large public art commission mural for the convention center in San Marcos.

The couple have both taught in schools across the country and enjoy being in Texas. They are well traveled and well-rounded in their areas of visual art. Their work has been featured in exhibitions around the world and includes many different styles.

In the summer, the couple will exhibit their artwork at Angelo State University in San Angelo with another show scheduled this fall at Sul Ross State University in Alpine.

For more information about HPU’s Department of Art, call 325-649-8500.

Applications are still being accepted for the fall 2016 semester at Howard Payne University. HPU offers a variety of financial aid options including the Heart of Texas Scholarship, which awards $60,000 to students from Brown County and surrounding counties. For more information about HPU, contact HPU’s Office of Admission at (325) 649-8020 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Pictured above is HPU Art Department Chair David Harmon.  Pictured below is adjunct art professor Susan Harmon.