An artist reception will be held from 5:30–7:30 p.m. Oct. 7, and Hewitt will give a gallery talk at 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to students, faculty, staff, and the public. The gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday–Friday.

“Mechanics of Motivation” features a series of mechanical figures assembled from wood, copper, Plexiglas, and other materials. Each has been either painted or engraved with images that speak of man’s hidden motivations. The series, when fully completed, will encircle the gallery with figures in various positions. The figures have articulated joints that allow multiple positions.

“Art is a journey to new ideas, materials, and messages,” Hewitt said. “My mind races with images that I challenge myself to consider—thus creating an evolving body of work.”

Born in Arizona, Hewitt has lived in Florida, Illinois, and Great Britain. Her career has been primarily in education, having been a college instructor at various South Carolina institutions, including Coker College in Hartsville, Columbia College, and USC, where she also teaches digital imaging in the art department.

Hewitt’s work has been shown at the Nina Liu Gallery, Charleston; Thompson Gallery, Furman University; Carol Saunders Gallery, Columbia; McKissick Museum, Columbia; and Piccolo Spoleto, Charleston. Her pieces also are in many permanent collections, including the Columbia Museum of Art; the Spartanburg Arts Museum; the S.C. State Museum, Columbia; the William Lieberman Collection, New York City; the Federal Reserve Bank, Charlotte; The Tree of Life Temple, Columbia; and the S.C. National Bank, Columbia. She also has authored Web content for Web sites, including “Artforms,” seventh edition, Prentice Hall (2001) and “A Study Guide to Understanding Art,” fifth edition, Prentice Hall (1998).

The exhibit will be on display through Oct. 29. The USC Beaufort Art Gallery is located at 801 Carteret St. in the Performing Arts Center. For more information, call 843-521-4100.

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