Georgia Southern University has attracted the likes of a New York-based artist, Marie Lorenz, to host a lecture on March 12.

Lorenz is an innovative artist who uses unique materials like discarded objects as integral pieces of her installments. All her life she has been devoted to creating. Her most recent piece reminds her of making mud sculptures as a child.

Lorenz started working with garbage eight years ago, through her exploration of NYC’s coast. She started incorporating debris in ceramics around four years ago. A common theme throughout her artwork is combing the illustrious world of art with the disregarded world of debris.

From now until March 18, the Center for Art & Theatre University Gallery at GS Statesboro Campus will be showing her art exhibit, “Ash Heap/Landfill.”

The piece uses man-made and natural materials and the islands in the New York harbor serve as the inspiration. Lorenz wants her audience to take a moment and really consume her art, to hopefully walk away with some of the same enjoyment that she had while creating the art piece.

“I think as an artwork, the main thing that I am asking with this installation is just to slow down and examine something,” Lorenz said.

The lecture will take place at 5 p.m. in Arts Building room 2071 in conjunction with the Center for Sustainability’s Sustainability Seminar Series.

Tatiana Joseph-Saunders, The George-Anne contributor, ganewsed@georgiasouthern.edu