A new art exhibit, “Things That Go Bump in the Night,” is currently on display in Gallery 181.

The exhibit contains jewelry, monoprints and sculptures by artist Joyce Scott of Baltimore, Md.

Widely renowned for her beadwork in jewelry and sculpture, “[Scott] is very well-known and has a national reputation as a sculptor and as a performance artist,” Gallery 181 Coordinator Barbara Bruene said.

Two of Scott’s most candid pieces are “Date Rape” and “Caffeine.”

“Date Rape” is a sculpture using blown glass beadwork and fine wire twisted to make the letters of words on the sculpture.

“The piece draws an emotional response from a viewer who may compare it to stories they’ve heard or memories they may have,” Bruene said.

“Caffeine” is a piece that has an empty coffee can filled with fresh coffee beans sitting on top of a coffeepot covered with beadwork.

The pot rests on a ceramic dinner plate, and on the top of the coffee can is a beadwork figure of a snake with a human figure on top. The snake and figure are caught in a huge red net, and hanging from the net is a skull.

“Joyce Scott is an important American artist who uses glass and beads as body covering and sculpture to express concerns about the social and political conditions in our society,” Gallery 181 Curator Priscilla Sage said in a press release. “Her art and performance art are insightful and profound, with a spicy dash of humor. We are fortunate to have an exhibit of her work in Gallery 181.”

Bruene agreed with Sage about Scott’s work.

“As an African-American artist, stereotypes and discrimination are among the issues [Scott] deals with,” Bruene said. “She is interested in how each of these issues affect our lives. [The exhibit] is really intriguing. People are really finding it interesting.”

Scott obtained her bachelors degree in fine art at the College of Art in Baltimore.

Afterwards, she spent time in Mexico working towards her master’s degree in fine art at the Institute Allende, San Miguel Allende, in Guanajuato, Mexico.

Since then, Scott received several honors, including a grant from the Tiffany Foundation. This grant is given to 10 to 12 artists a year from around the country.

In addition to this, Scott was one of 10 female artists who were awarded a $25,000 “Anonymous Was a Woman” grant in 1997, only the second year the award was presented.

“She’s being recognized by various people for her work,” Bruene said. “Her work is very narrative in its quality. There are visual stories contained in each piece. A viewer can see the story when looking at a piece.”

“Things That Go Bump in the Night” will be on display until Tuesday in Gallery 181, in the Design Center. The gallery is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Joyce Scott will be coming to Iowa State to give a lecture about her work.

The lecture will be April 2 at 7 p.m. in Room 1, Carver Hall.