Gray '16 at home in batter's box, art studio

Augustana baseball fans know Nathan (Nate) Gray ’16 well. He leads the Vikings in number of hits, runs scored and stolen bases and is No. 2 on the team with a .338 batting average.

What they may not know is that Gray is just as comfortable in an art studio as he is in the batter’s box.

For his Senior Inquiry project entitled “The Town,” Gray drew three detailed scenes of Rock Island in graphite and charcoal. He says Rock Island can be viewed from two perspectives: to some it’s where they attend college and to others, it’s home.

For Gray, it’s both.

Most American cities, large and small, have what are considered “rough” areas, and Rock Island is no exception. Yet, as Gray shows in his drawings, he embraces all of his hometown and believes Rock Island, the “good” and the “bad,” has shaped him into the person he is today.

“Nathan uses drawing as a tool of communication understandable to anyone, and his feelings about the streets and places that he is familiar with, ring true in his work,” said Peter Xiao, an art professor and one of Nathan’s project advisors. “I am also sure that all viewers find in Nathan's drawings the honesty and gentleness that is authentically him, like I do.”

For his project, Gray drew 11th Street with Centennial Bridge in the background; Tim’s Corner Tap, a neighborhood bar; and the football stadium at Rock Island High School, where Gray led the Rocks’ team as quarterback.