"I Live At Zoo Valdes," an exhibit featuring works by graphic artist Marius Valdes, will be displayed his new work at Rebecca Randall Bryan Art Gallery at Coastal Carolina University from May 20 to June 14. It is free and open to the public.

Valdes' creative projects have evolved from a lifelong interest and relationship with visual stories and character-based art and design. His artwork has been shown in Colorado, Georgia, Los Angeles, South Carolina and Virginia. His commercial artwork has received awards from design publications and professional organizations including the Advertising Federation of Charleston and the American Institute of Graphic Arts.

Born and raised in Charleston, Valdes received his BFA in graphic design from the University of Georgia and his MFA in visual communication from Virginia Commonwealth University. He currently lives in Columbia, where he is an assistant professor of graphic design at the University of South Carolina.

"As a graphic designer and illustrator, much of my work is funneled through a computer, but it starts with marks on paper or paint on a surface," Valdes says. "This collection of art features some finished digital work but also the process drawings used to develop my ideas for new characters that I will use in my upcoming commercial artwork."

The Rebecca Randall Bryan Art Gallery is located on the campus of Coastal Carolina University in the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts, located on 133 Chanticleer Drive W. in Conway. The gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. To see more of Valdes' works, visit www.zoovaldes.com. For additional information about the exhibit, contact James Arendt at 843-349-6409.