West Virginia University is hosting exhibitions by two respected artists Jan. 24-March 7.

Nationally recognized performance and multimedia artist James Luna and graphic designer Juan Giraldo, an assistant professor in WVU s Division of Art, will exhibit their work in the Mesaros Galleries at the Creative Arts Center on the Evansdale Campus.

Luna will present the annual Deem Distinguished Artist Lecture at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, in the centers Bloch Learning and Performance Hall (Room 200A). The opening reception for the exhibitions will follow at 6 p.m. at the galleries.

Giraldo will present a gallery talk about his work at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, in the Laura Mesaros Gallery.

All gallery events, including art lectures, exhibitions and receptions are free and open to the public.

Luna is a Luiseno Indian who resides on the La Jolla Indian Reservation in California. Much of his work challenges the romanticizednoble savagestereotype. His installations and performances are aesthetic, theatrical and political statements that create a multidimensional view of American Indian culture.

Lunas critically acclaimed work, created over the past three decades, has been widely exhibited and extensively reviewed in art and performance journals. He will work on an installation Jan. 21-24 in the Paul Mesaros Gallery. His visit to the University is co-sponsored by the WVU Native American Studies Program.

Giraldo will present an exhibition of his recent photography,Portraits of Consumption,Jan. 24-March 7 in the Laura Mesaros Gallery.

The series of photographs focuses on American mass consumption and the role that I play as an individual,he said.

Giraldo joined the WVU art faculty in 2004 and holds a degree in advertising from Instituto de Artes in Medellin, Columbia. He also has bachelors and masters degrees in graphic design from WVU .

His work in the classroom focuses on typography, digital imaging, Web and multimedia design. For the last four years, Giraldo has been the designer and webmaster of the College of Creative Arts Web sites.

Managed by curator Robert Bridges and the WVU Division of Art, the Mesaros Galleries organize a diverse schedule of exhibitions throughout the year. They show experimental work that includes innovative media and content. The galleries also host contemporary artists of important or growing reputation who work in all media in the Visiting Artist Program.

Gallery hours are from noon-9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The galleries are closed Sundays and University holidays. Special individual or group viewing times may be arranged upon request. For more information, contact Bridges at 304-293-4841 ext. 3210.