From Oct. 21 to Nov. 6, VSU is hosting its first ever Medical Illustration exhibit in the Fine Arts Gallery, located in the Fine Arts Building, on the corner of Brookwood and Oak Street.
 The Medical Illustration exhibit showcases pictures from the Permanent Collection of the Medical Illustration Department at the Medical College of Georgia. The artists displayed at the exhibit are all past or present faculty, including William M. Andrews, Steven J. Harrison, David J. Mascaro, William J. Stenstrom, and Andrew E.B. Swift. The artwork includes everything from an illustration of an eye before and after the removal of a cyst to an open kneecap during surgery.
 The Medical Illustration exhibit was created in an attempt to show students something that has not been shown around Valdosta before. An opening reception was held the first night of the exhibit at 7 p.m., and Dr. Steven Harrison, Chairman of the Medical Illustration Department at GMC, spoke a little about their graduate program. The Medical Illustration Graduate Program within the School of Graduate Studies at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) is one of only four such programs in the nation. Located in Augusta, MCG is part of the University System of Georgia.
  Harrison also spoke to the audience about the medical illustration profession, which includes drawing things such as images in a medical textbook or charts that doctors show their patients. The profession of a medical illustrator requires not only artistic skills, but also a love for science. Because a medical illustrator’s work must often communicate a complex idea by showing what is hidden under skin or too small to be seen with the naked eye, medical illustrators must be knowledgeable in anatomy and the health sciences, as well as being skilled artists, making it a great career choice for both art majors interested in biology, and biology majors interested in art.
 The gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from  9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays, and the exhibit is open to all students, faculty, and community members. Pictures are allowed but no flash photography. Julie Bowland, the gallery director, commented in an email that, so far, “[T]here has been an enthusiastic response from students and community members alike.”