Dwelling: Paintings by Peter Ligon + Layla Luna
March 23 - April 28, 2018

The Beatrice M. Haggerty Gallery is pleased to announce an upcoming exhibition featuring
two Dallas/Fort Worth area artists, Peter Ligon and Layla Luna, who articulate the
architectural styling of dwelling spaces in their paintings.
Please join us for an artist talk and exhibition reception for our upcoming exhibition Dwelling, on Friday, Mar. 23, from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Beatrice M. Haggerty Gallery. The artist
talk will be held in the Art Auditorium of the Haggerty Art Village and begins at
5:30 p.m. and the reception follows directly after in the Beatrice M. Haggerty Gallery
and Thompson Loggia Foyer at 6 p.m.
“These locations are places I feel an affinity for — where there’s a combination of
colors that look good together in a composition,” said Ligon, whose exhibition pieces
showcase small-scale oil paintings, featuring an assortment of buildings, houses and
sheds.
Ligon’s sources are predominately observational, as he regularly paints on location,
surveying the light, color and shapes of his subjects. He captures scenic landscapes
with sweeping gestures of thin oil paint. Next, Ligon paints smaller passages to explore
the abstraction of his buildings and landscape; light and shadow form geometric shapes
to emphasize the basic outlines of buildings. While his paintings blend together a
myriad of abstracted elements, his works also presents a distinct shade of realism.
From her studio in Fort Worth, Texas, Luna delves further into the complex notions
of home, drawing on her memories of travel and artistic research. Her featured series,
in fact, she titled “Shapes of Shelter.” “Some individuals seek refuge within that
space while others wish to escape it. I find the uneasiness of that pull and push
fascinating,” said Luna.
Luna began her work by initially investigating the structures and materials of early
shelters used by North American cultures, such as caves, tipis and pueblos. From this
practice, she discovered consistent curve-shaped patterns, which she incorporated
as a recurring motif throughout her exhibition works. Luna’s brightly colored landscapes
are oriented vertically in what we traditionally associate with portrait painting.
Like Ligon, Luna’s paintings give viewers a space to dwell in reflection on the places
and spaces we inhabit.
Image Credit: L. Peter Ligon, House with Shrubs, 2017, oil on panel 9x 12 in.
R. Layla Luna, Green Diamond Tipis, 2017, oil on panel, 36 x 24 in.
Featured Exhibition Events:
- Artist Talk: Friday, March 23, 5:30- 6 p.m. Art History Auditorium
- Reception: Friday, March 23 6-8 p.m. Beatrice M. Haggerty Gallery & Thompson Loggia
Artist Biographies
Peter Ligon received a Bachelor of Fine Art from the University of North Texas and an MFA from
the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University. He’s had solo exhibitions
at the artist-run Oak Cliff gallery Mighty Fine Arts; RE Gallery in Dallas; The Safe
Room at the Texas Theatre in Dallas; Dahlia Woods Gallery in San Marcos, Texas; Gallery
219 at Eastfield College; Lago Vista Gallery at Richland College; and the Mildred
Hawn Gallery at SMU. He has also displayed work at artist showings and galleries,
including the Barry Whistler Gallery, CentralTrak, Dallas Contemporary, Gray Matters
Gallery, Liliana Bloch Gallery, Meadows Museum, McKinney Avenue Contemporary and Plush
Gallery in Dallas; 333 Montezuma Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Red Mill Gallery in
Johnson, Vermont; and Galleri Rødhusgaarden in Pandrup, Denmark. A founding resident
of the artist-run cooperative Shamrock Hotel Studios in Dallas, Ligon currently teaches
drawing, art appreciation, printmaking and painting at the University of Texas at
Dallas, Eastfield Community College and the School of Continuing and Professional
Education at SMU.
A resident of Fort Worth, Texas, Layla Luna received her MFA in painting from Texas Christian University and her bachelor’s from
Arizona State University. She studied at Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand,
where she obtained a postgraduate diploma in fine art. She’s had solo exhibitions
at the Lawndale Art Center in Houston, as well as at both the Moudy Gallery and Gallery
76102 in Fort Worth. Artist-in-residence programs include the Kimmel Harding Nelson
in Nebraska City, Nebraska; the Rensing Center in Pickens, South Carolina; Weir Farm
Art Center in Wilton, Connecticut; Prairie Center of the Arts in Peoria, Illinois;
Madroño Ranch in Medina, Texas; and Ucross Foundation in Clearmont, Wyoming.
Directions to the Haggerty Art Gallery:
The University of Dallas is accessible from Loop 12, Hwy. 114 or Hwy. 183.
From Hwy. 114, exit Tom Braniff, turn right on Northgate Drive, then right on Gorman
Drive.From Hwy. 183 exit Carl Road, turn right on Northgate, then left on Gorman Drive.
The Beatrice M. Haggerty Gallery is located in the Art History Building, the copper
clad building at the corner of campus roads, Gorman Drive and Haggar Circle on the
University of Dallas campus at 1845 E. Northgate Drive in Irving. The gallery, which
is part of the university's Haggerty Art Village, is free and open weekdays from 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Free visitor parking is available
throughout campus, with reserved visitor spaces.