UA student shows artwork at Epic Cafe

After spending a year studying in Italy, graphic design senior Sarit Melmed returned to Tucson to reconnect with her American heritage - and she used the American flag to do it.

Following a difficult transition back into the states, Melmed said she decided to turn to art in order to reconcile her recent experiences in Italy with her return to the U.S.

Her oil paintings, photos and found-object sculptures are currently on display at the Epic Cafe, 745 N. Fourth Ave., in her exhibit "Bella Tucson."

"I was living 10 minutes from Leonardo (Da Vinci's) birthplace in Vinci -- Leonardo's stomping grounds," she said. "I went through culture shock when I got back (from Italy)."