The watercolor paintings of retired Starkville architect Thomas Shelton Jones and the 19th-century bentwood furniture of Austrian craftsman Michael Thonet are being featured through Feb. 15 at Mississippi State University.
Both are on display at the School of Architecture's Giles Hall gallery. The Jones watercolors include scenes of England, Italy and Mississippi, while the Thonet collection illustrates his creativity in producing chairs and benches of layered and steam-bent wood.
Gallery hours are 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday.
Painted over the last decade, Jones' works include gatehouses, cathedrals, abbeys, churches, and gardens, among other subjects.
Made possible by the Austrian Cultural Institute of New York, the Thonet exhibit is illustrated by photographs, models and original chairs that document the development of the furniture from its local origins to worldwide success.
Thonet is considered the founder of the style, which resulted in the mass-production of lightweight, distinctive furniture that consisted of no more than a few components screwed together. The pieces were known both for their sturdiness and their unique aesthetic qualities.
During his career, Jones designed a number of MSU buildings, among them the Cobb Institute of Archaeology, MacArthur Hall and the president's home on Morrill Road.
For more information about the exhibitions, telephone John Jay Miller at (662) 325-2202 or visit http://www.sarc.msstate.edu/events/exhibitions-00-01.html.
