October Art Hop and Panel Discussion Feature Artist Austin Rounds

The October art exhibit at the Center for New Media features the Marvelously Creative and Unbridled Art of Austin Rounds. An opening reception for the exhibit begins at 5:30 p.m. on October 7 during the City of Kalamazoo's monthly Art Hop event.

Rounds is a 20-year-old artist who has used his art as an outlet and a way to express himself when the world around him may feel off kilter, beautiful and even challenging. Being autistic has not always been easy, but it is a part of who Austin is, and it adds to his creativity.

He recently finished working as the sole illustrator for author Jerrod S. Smelker's book of scary short stories, "WICKED HARVEST: Michigan Monsters & Macabre - 2" which was published in August by Wicked Harvest Books.

Rounds continues to work on commissioned pieces of art, and enjoys working with a variety of styles and mediums. He has been participating in the Kalamazoo Art Hop since June of 2021, and has been the feature artist in many venues, including the Kalamazoo State Theatre.

The Vicksburg resident and his father, Joe, will also participate in a 2 p.m. presentation on Oct. 29 at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum to discuss the development of the "Wicked Harvest" book, illustration and his art processes. Rounds will host a book signing after the talk, and the book will be available for purchase.

The museum will also host a small exhibit representing some of Rounds' work. The focus will be on his Halloween illustrations and to promote the Oct. 29 panel discussion. "We're excited that a more comprehensive representation of Austin's work will also be included in a second exhibit running simultaneously at the Center for New Media during October," said Kalamazoo Valley Museum Director Bill McElhone. "Together, these two exhibits and the program will be an amazing way to learn more about Austin's unique neurodiversity as a person with autism, his process for developing the 'character' in his art, and his ongoing journey in mastering his gifts as an artist and illustrator."

For more information about Rounds, see his social media accounts at https://www.facebook.com/austin.rounds.18 and https://instagram.com/austinroundsgallery and his website at https://austinroundsgallery.com.