North Carolina artist Warner Hyde will give a talk on the relationship between art and nature entitled “Transcended Earth: Ethics and Eco Art,” part of Coastal Carolina University’s upcoming Tea & Ethics Discussion Series.

The event will be held at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, in the Courtyard of the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts. (In the case of inclement weather, the outdoor event, sponsored by The Jackson Family Center for Ethics & Values at CCU, will be held in the Recital Hall of Edwards College.)

Hyde, assistant professor of ceramics at Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C., will discuss the relationship between art, nature and spirituality by examining the creative process of making art from natural materials and how it connects the artist to the natural world. Hyde will also explore variations of visual art throughout history – from land art to eco art – as well as environmental ethics and aesthetic philosophies such as intrinsic-value, virtue-ethics, sentient life, ethical holism and deep ecology.

Following the discussion, the Rebecca Randall Bryan Art Gallery will open a special preview exhibit of Hyde’s work, which will continue to be on display in the gallery as “Fire and Earth: The Works of Warner Hyde and Jane Nodine” through April 8. The exhibit’s official opening reception to the public is Thursday, March 10, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. All gallery events are free and open to the public.

For additional information, call Jason Hager, assistant director of The Jackson Family Center for Ethics & Values, at 843-349-4149.