Related Links: About MVNU | Art at MVNU | View Photos

May’s paintings depict and represent futility. Portraying elements from traditional still life in non-traditional ways, he challenges the viewer to unpack the symbols and biological references and to question what they are truly about. Suggesting notions of idolatry and veneration, May’s paintings are filled with sarcasm. “I use images of cattle because of their intrinsic iconic nature,” he said. “They have been worshiped and idolized as well as eaten and milked.”

May received his Bachelor of Arts from Ball State University and is currently working toward his Master of Fine Arts at the University of Miami. He is a member of the Ohio Art League, and specializes in paintings and drawings. May has participated in over 20 exhibitions since 2002. He is currently a graduate assistant at the University of Miami.

Regular gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Evening and weekend appointments can be scheduled by contacting MVNU Art Gallery Curator Lori Wilkes at (740) 397-3573. For more information about MVNU’s galleries, visit www.mvnu.edu/art.

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students and working adults. U.S. News & World Report ranks MVNU in the top 50 Best in the Midwest (Baccalaureate) institutions for the sixth year in a row. With a 400-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, and eight additional satellite Adult and Graduate Studies sites throughout the state, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education to more than 2,500 students from 25 states and six countries/U.S. territories.