Artist Leisa Rich's exhibit "Diversionary Antics" is currently being featured at Coastal Carolina University's Rebecca Randall Bryan Art Gallery until Wednesday, March 18, featuring 2D sculptures and fiber art installations. Admission is free and open to the public.

Rich is the 2019 recipient of a Distinguished Fellowship from the Fulton County Arts Council of Atlanta, Ga. She holds a Master of Fine Arts, a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and a Bachelor of Education in Art, with 44 years of teaching experience across the U.S. and Canada. Rich has been published in numerous books, magazines, and online. Her art works are permanently displayed with Delta Airlines Inc., Emory Healthcare, The Kamm Foundation, The Dallas Museum of Art, the University of Texas, and the University of North Texas.

Nudging her audience toward active participation, Rich's installations push the boundaries of contemporary fiber art through moveable panels, immersive environments, and visually stimulating, tactile pieces. She brings her conceptual 2D sculptures and installations to fruition using thread, plastics, fabrics, mixed media, and recycled and repurposed detritus. Additionally, Rich uses 3D printing and free motion stitching techniques to further create sensory involvement.

Her impactful experiences as a child, which include deafness and a celebratory trip to Disneyland after exiting the hospital, motivate her to create these interactive, utopian experiences. In addition to visual art, Rich is the author and illustrator of "Animal Alphabet Travelling Twisters," a children's book.

The gallery is located in the Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts, Room 129. It is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, contact Jim Arendt, gallery director, at 843-349-6409, or visit coastal.edu/gallery.