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Gastonia, NC (WNN) - On Saturday, June 6, 2026, the Gaston County Library Main Branch welcomed artists, comic book enthusiasts, and community members to the ninth Annual Comic-Con celebration. Among the featured artists was local Cherryville resident Lacey Dellinger, whose thesis exhibition invited visitors to explore the natural world through a blend of art, science, and history.
The collection, which took about a year to make, includes various species of extinct dinosaurs. When asked about her work, Dellinger credited much of her inspiration to her five-year-old son, whose love of dinosaurs shaped the project's idea.
Thesis Art Show at Gaston Public Library | June 6, 2026
Every piece in the art exhibition is a collage, layered with text ranging from scientific catalogs to cultural references, as part of Dellinger's research on each subject. For example, one piece draws on the Book of Genesis, exploring ideas of human hubris (or excessive pride) and bringing extinct species back to life. Much like the plot of the 1993 film, Jurassic Park.
With the collage, the exhibition's diversity is matched by its materials. Dellinger described the medium as "everything," utilizing drawings, watercolor, acrylic paint, oil pastels, and other mixed media throughout the exhibit.
Mason Beam (WNN)
Mason Beam (WNN)
Mason Beam (WNN)
Mason Beam (WNN)
One dragonfly piece, for example, incorporates a thread, adding texture and cultural significance.
"I'd never heard this before I researched dragonflies, but there was this old urban legend thing that parents used to tell kids when they were bad. If they were bad, a dragonfly would sew their mouth shut. So the thread represents the "devil's needle," or whatever they called it."
- Lacey Dellinger, local artist
Certain pieces challenged traditional depictions of dinosaurs by incorporating modern scientific understanding, such as the use of feathers and vibrant pigmentation rather than the scaly appearance portrayed in pop culture.
Perhaps the most interesting piece in the collection is a split-canvas piece titled Fossil Fuel. Inspired by 380 million years ago, the artwork takes place in the Carboniferous period and uses charcoal as a medium to mimic the natural processes that eventually produced coal. The piece also references scale trees that contributed to the formation of coal deposits during that era.
Despite the extensive research behind this exhibit, Dellinger jokingly refers to herself as a "pseudo-expert." She said one of her favorite parts of the display is hearing how others interpreted the work.
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