Bicentennial: Regionally Related Works from the Permanent Collection

September 28, 2024 - February 16, 2024

East Gallery

Sigrid Zahner, Associate Professor in the Department of Art and Design at Purdue University, is known for her ceramic, sculptural, and figural work.

This collection focuses on utilizing mundane or even discarded materials to underscore the moment-by-moment footprints of our lives. Moreover, to dismantle hierarchal systems using ceramics to challenge perceptions of value and craftsmanship. Zahner's goal is to supply the audience with a source for thought and personal speculation rather than a didactic point of view in an attempt to allow the audience to experience the poetics of ambiguity. Overall, Croenation Collective aims to exemplify the inherent value of the overlooked and unseen.

Zahner has a BFA from the Herron School of Art, an MA from Purdue, and an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She has shown nationally, including at the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, and internationally, and is represented in the UK by Castle Arts Gallery in Canterbury.

September 28, 2024 - February 16, 2024

McDonald Gallery

Influenced by a culture that values harmony with nature, Hoijin Jung creates work inspired by the circle of life. Her relief prints and paintings reflect her anxiety over how human-centered culture has suppressed Earth's inhabitants. In this exhibition, she uses fire to symbolize both wisdom as well as the unforeseen limits of human progress.

The drawing featuring a rabbit, cabbage, and tree represents interconnected life forms that transform into one another, embodying the cyclical nature of ecosystems. These relationships are the central theme in Jung's work. However, as environmental crises and rapid civilization changes intensify, Jung's concern grows for human convenience-driven lifestyles that threaten the Earth's ecosystem. The anthropomorphized rabbit, cabbage, and tree illustrate the disconnect, while fire is the ironic limit of human ability. Are we unaware of our situation? Or perhaps we are turning a blind eye, enjoying the beauty and convenience of fire while ignoring its destructive nature.

Jung earned her MFA in Printmaking and Painting from Purdue University and her MFA and BFA in Western Painting from Hongik University, Seoul.

January 1, 2025 - July 13, 2025

Weil Gallery

Bicentennial is an exhibition celebrating the vibrant artistic voices of our region. This curated collection features works by local artists alongside pieces that reflect our community's cultural, historical, and natural essence. From evocative landscapes to thought-provoking contemporary creations, the exhibit showcases the talent and diversity that make our region unique.

Join us in exploring the intersection of place, identity, and artistic expression, as we honor the creativity rooted in our local soil and the stories that resonate far beyond.

February 8, 2025 - May 11, 2025

Shook Gallery

After Corinne McAuley had worked in the high-tech industry for many years she started looking for a calming, creative outlet. She tried many different mediums but found nothing that stuck until a visit to a bead shop with a friend one day. She had never seen such a diverse selection of shapes, sizes, and colors of beads. From there she learned how to work with beads in her unique way. Her creations include masks, intricate tactile works that reflect nature, as well as figures, and even abstract shapes and designs. McAuley continually looks for new and interesting ways to use this medium and express herself with beads. “I feel that I have not touched the surface of possibilities...”