Lee University will welcome artists Mikala Alewine and Josephine Cora Prins as part of the International Women’s Week (IWW) events taking place across campus. The Squires Library Fine Art Gallery will feature their work from March 3 through March 23. An opening reception will be held at the gallery on Tuesday, March 3, from 9:30-10 a.m.  

 

“We are grateful to both Mikala and Josephine for joining us at Lee to share their art and expertise with us,” said Victoria Phillips, assistant professor of art. “We are so excited to host this exhibition and have them on campus to engage with our students, staff, and the Cleveland community.” 

 

The exhibition will feature Alewine’s pottery, as well as Prins’s landscape scenes created with pyrography, an art medium of burning wood, and watercolor.  

 

Alewine, an artist from Royston, Georgia, is the owner and potter of Wholehearted Pottery. She began working with clay at the age of 11 and studied under two local potters for over two years. After stepping away from pottery for several years, Alewine returned to the craft in 2022 and opened her home studio in 2025.  

 

“At the heart of my work is my faith. I see pottery as both a gift and a responsibility—an opportunity to be a good steward and share the gifts God has given me,” said Alewine. “Through my studio, my teaching, and the community that gathers around clay, my ultimate mission is to reflect the love of Jesus and to serve others well. Whether through a handmade bowl or a shared experience at the wheel, I hope my work communicates care, humility, and purpose.” 

 

Prins is an artist from Owatonna, Minnesota, who specializes in nature scenes created with pyrography and watercolor. Her inspiration is drawn from travels with her family as well as local lakes and landscapes. 

 

“My work is inspired by nature’s ability to speak to the soul, extending all that is good, true, and beautiful to our hearts,” said Prins. “I invite viewers to experience this connection with me as I explore the intricate beauty that God has created around us. I invite them to discover the moments of light that emerge from the ashes of our past when we are healed and renewed, much like nature’s ability to remain balanced through changing seasons, giving space for loss and life.” 

 

This exhibition is a part of the university’s IWW celebrations. The week will feature dedicated chapel services, panels, a student poster session, and various events across Lee’s campus.  

 

For more information about Alewine and Prins, visit @wholehearted_pottery and @jcorastudio on Instagram.  

 

For more information about the exhibition or Lee’s art program, email Phillips at [email protected], visit leeuniversity.edu/art, or visit @leeuniversity_art on Instagram.