Fall 2025
September 1 – October 20
Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Quiché through Illustration
The Sacred Book of the Quiché through Illustration featured 65 vivid illustrations by Jaime Arredondo that bring to life the ancient Mayan creation myth of the Popol Vuh, celebrating Indigenous heritage, storytelling, and cultural preservation. Often compared to The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh, the narrative follows the Hero Twins’ journey to the Underworld to secure the future of humanity. A Texas-born artist of Mexican and Otomi heritage, Arredondo originally created the illustrations to support his teachings on Mesoamerican mythology at NYU and The New School. Combining historical research with vibrant imagery, his work seeks to restore the Popol Vuh to its rightful place within world history while honoring Indigenous art and culture. This exhibition was generously loaned to the gallery by the Mid-America Arts Alliance, and we were grateful for the opportunity to host this important body of work within our gallery space.
Opening Reception
Tuesday, September 2 | 5:00 – 6:30 pm
How Space Happens – Aaron Fine
Featuring drawings and images from his book How Space Happens, Aaron Fine’s sabbatical exhibition explores perspective, spatial systems, and the ways humans perceive and organize three-dimensional space, making complex mathematical concepts visually intuitive and accessible.
Opening Reception & Artist in Conversation
Tuesday, September 2 | 4:30 – 6:30 pm
October 27 – November 21
If You Build It (‘Til Kingdom Come) – Jared Peterson
If You Build It (‘Til Kingdom Come) featured ceramic installations by Jared Peterson that explore multicultural identity, labor, and faith through the lens of sports and blue-collar aspirations. A self-described “Chicano Appalachian suburban-raised country boy,” Peterson uses humor, storytelling, and ceramic sculpture to examine the intersections of his personal and cultural identities while encouraging viewers to reflect on their own experiences. Raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Peterson earned degrees in English and Ceramics from West Virginia University and is currently an MFA candidate at Arizona State University. His nationally and internationally exhibited work celebrates cultural history, self-discovery, and the complexity of contemporary identity through thoughtful and approachable visual narratives.
Opening Reception & Artist in Conversation
Tuesday, October 28 | 4:30 – 6:30 pm
Suckle: A Seat at the Table – Danielle Yakle
Exploring the relationship between human figures and animals, Danielle Yakle creates uncanny and surreal scenes that blur the familiar and the strange, using moments of oddity to examine emotion, instinct, and human behavior
December 1 – December 5
BA/BFA Thesis Exhibition
We set aside a week at the end of each semester to show the capstone projects of studio art seniors completing their BA or BFA in ceramics, fibers, painting, photography, printmaking, or sculpture.
Selfspace – Lindsay Lennon Picht
Through watercolor paintings of domestic interiors, Lindsay Lennon Picht explores impermanence, belonging, and the emotional tension between comfort and instability in temporary spaces.
Spring 2026
January 26 – February 27
Creative Urges: The Paintings of Dorothy Wirtz
Creative Urges: The Paintings of Dorothy Wirtz featured rarely exhibited paintings by Dorothy Wirtz, highlighting her legacy as a scholar, poet, and artist. Born in Keokuk, Iowa, and educated at Culver-Stockton College and the University of Wisconsin, Wirtz pursued an accomplished academic career in French literature while also producing a prolific body of paintings influenced by surrealism and abstract expressionism, One of the first major exhibitions dedicated to her visual artwork, the exhibition offered audiences the opportunity to experience the interdisciplinary practice of a midcentury artist who explored the relationship between literature and visual art throughout her life.
Opening Reception
Tuesday, January 27 | 5:00 – 6:30 pm
March 16 – April 16
2026 Annual Juried Student Exhibition
The Annual Juried Student Exhibition is always one of the highlights of the University Art Gallery schedule. Some of the best recent artwork by Truman students is displayed.
Opening Reception
Tuesday, March 17 | 5:00 – 6:30 pm
Awards
Best in Show: “The Lamb with Two Heads” by Noah Bruning
1st place: “Weeds: Cowboy Silo” by Alex Lewis
2nd place: “Bedroom Still Lives” by Rickie Stutzman
3rd place: “Pufferfish” by Ava BillharzHonorable Mention
“What I Was Given” by Reve Nonnast
“unseen’s sanctum” by Marcus Kelly
“Lydia in Blue” by Grace Reddekopp
I’ve Always Loved the Path – Brooke P. Alexander
I’ve Always Loved the Path featured evocative paintings by Brooke Alexander that blend memory, literature, and landscape to immerse viewers in shifting and ambiguous environments. Originally from Alabam, Alexander creates dynamic spaces where fragmented forms, shadowed interiors, and uncertain boundaries challege perceptions of time, place, and narrative. Holding an MFA in Painting from the University of Mississippi, Alexander’s work encourages active viewer engagement while fostering dialogue around identity, memory, and the emotional complexity of lived experience. Through this exhibition, the gallery further enriched cultural and educational experiences for both the University and the Northern Missouri community.
Opening Reception
Tuesday, March 17 | 5:00 – 6:30 pm
Artist in Conversation
Friday, March 27 | 4:30 – 6:30 pm
April 20 – April 24
BA Thesis Exhibition
We set aside a week at the end of each semester to show the capstone projects of studio art seniors completing their BA or BFA in ceramics, fibers, painting, photography, printmaking, or sculpture.
April 27 – May 1
BFA Thesis Exhibition
We set aside a week at the end of each semester to show the capstone projects of studio art seniors completing their BA or BFA in ceramics, fibers, painting, photography, printmaking, or sculpture.
