Students interested in the arts can now get a taste of a new exhibit on display at the Palmer Museum of Art.

The exhibit called Sam Gilliam: Recent Prints will remain on the second floor of the museum until March 26.

The prints on display are very unique. There are two monoprints that look like geometric shapes with many colors. These were made using traditional printing methods such as relief printing and silk screens.

Others are collages of mixed media. These recent pieces are created from printed sets of wood veneer that are then put onto the paper as a collage. There are even stitchings in some pieces and impressions made in the paint creating interesting designs. These pieces are multilayered and appear to be splashed with paint. "They are not so much prints but they are printings," explained Gilliam. "They use multiple processes and are therefore paintings that have been through the press."

"It looks almost like they've been hand painted," said Joyce Robinson, who is curating the exhibit. "Each one is very original and has its unique style. They kind of have this gestural sensibility." She explained how some pieces involved cutting out shapes and reattaching and then collaging all the pieces together.

Gilliam said the different types of prints, "represent several years." She said that the pieces on display in Palmer date back to 1994 and are as recent as 2001, however Gilliam has been printing for many decades.

He first gained prominence in the '60s with his drape paintings, large, unstretched canvases, hung from walls and ceilings. He was one of the first artists to blur the line between painting and sculpture. Gilliam will be coming to campus to do a gallery talk at the museum, where he will speak about the pieces on display and "the experience making the prints," he said.

These prints were brought to the museum because of Gilliam's involvement with the Washington Ballet. Gilliam will give a lecture at 1 p.m. April 19, in the Palmer Lipcon Auditorium to discuss his experiences creating the sets and costumes for the Washington Ballet.