Department of Art Faculty and Alumni Exhibition
For more than fifty years the Department of Art has been an incubator for creative expression at 黑料社区, and beyond. Faculty have and continue to lead through innovative approaches to artmaking. Their 黑料社区s who are now alumni, cyclically becoming the next generation of artists, are the recipients of such knowledge in the fields of studio art, art history, and art education. Several new faculty and alumni not previously shown are featured in this iteration, further demonstrating the continuing growth of the Department of Art. With new faculty and increasing numbers of alumni, paired with shifting directions and demands of the art market, the quadrennial Department of Art Faculty and Alumni exhibition always presents something new to experience.
Exhibition Overview
On view August 26-Dec 13, 2025 in the McKie and Farmer Galleries
Featured are thirty-nine works of various artforms and mediums, including printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, painting, collage, fashion, time-based media, scholarship, animation, and drawing. Without a specific theme connecting all of works, this exhibition presents a diverse exploration of contemporary art. Works are grouped or paired based on known or perceived visual and contextual connections. Several common themes consist of identity and lineage; nature and the landscape; nostalgic reflections; and introspective explorations of the human experience. Take time to engage with each work and consider which speaks to you and offers a personal connection.
Featured Artists
Current Faculty
Amanda Alexander, Christy Carr, Dennis Cheatham, Joomi Chung, Annie Dell’Aria, Dilge Dilsiz, Tracy Featherstone, Jordan Fenton, Richard W. James, Jennifer Purdum, Geoff Riggle, Rob Robbins, Dana Saulnier, Ann E. Taulbee, Roscoe Wilson, Jennifer Pearson Yamashiro, Jon Yamashiro, Elaine Yuen
Emeritus Faculty
Larry Winston Collins, Susan R. Ewing, Jeannie Langan Heins, E. James Killy, Ellen Price, Ron Stevens, Robert Wolfe
Alumni
Chrissy Collopy, David Dotson, Katherine J. Fries, Steve Garst, Amy Holmes George, John Hankiewicz, Anna Kell, Travis Linville, Hannah Litt, Brent Payne, Katrina Shafor, Billy Simms, Sarah-Faith Strait, Nicole Trimble
Related Programming
Miniature to Monumental with Susan Ewing
THU, SEP 4, | 5:50-7:15 P.M. — Contemporary Art Forum/Artist Talk
Distinguished Professor Emerita and renowned artist Susan Ewing returns for an intimate and thought-provoking talk that explores the power of scale and transformation in contemporary art. Ewing will reflect on her career-spanning practice, sharing how her intricate hand-crafted small objects—translate into sweeping public sculptures.
Pen to Plastic / Pen to Paper with Billy Simms and Margaret Luongo
WED, SEP 10 | 5–7 P.M. —Artist Talk/Workshop
Featuring Billy Simms, Interdisciplinary Artist & Educator, and Margaret Luongo, Professor of Creative Writing. Join us for an engaging hands-on workshop where participants will explore a unique tracing technique using plexiglass and Sharpie markers to capture an outdoor landscape scene. Following the drawing exercise, participants will craft original stand-alone poems, flash fiction, or micro-essays inspired by their artwork.
Creativity and Photography with Ron Stevens
WED, OCT 8 | 5-7 P.M. — Reception/Artist Talk/Workshop
In this interactive and insightful program, longtime photography professor Ron Stevens invites you to explore the nature of creativity: how it works, why it matters, and how you can unlock it in your own life. Stevens will guide participants through the myths and truths of creative thinking.
Senbazuru’s Recall with Elaine Yuen
WED, OCT 15 | 12–12:30 P.M. — Spotlight Tour
Join us for a focused lunchtime tour and conversation as Elaine Yuen, Ph.D. in Cultural Heritage Informatics from Kent State University, shares insights into her work Senbazuru’s Recall: One Thousand Cranes for Peace, now on view.
The Past Persists: Memory & Identity with Katherine Fries and Ellen Price
WED, NOV 12 | 12-1 P.M. — Artist Talk/Webinar
In this exhibition conversation in Partnership with the Alumni Association, Katherine Fries (MFA ’14), Associate Professor at the University of Indianapolis, and Ellen Price, Professor Emerita of Art at Miami, reflect on their shared printmaking practice and the themes that inform their work. Drawing from their most recent series of monoprints—they explore how family, memory, and the enduring presence of the past continue to shape their creative processes.
Collage: Reshaping Existing Imagery with Jennifer Purdum
WED, NOV 12 | 5-7 P.M. — Reception/Artist Talk/Workshop
Dive into the intuitive and expressive world of collage in this workshop led by Cincinnati-based artist, educator, and Fuse Press co-founder Jennifer Purdum. Collage has long served as a trusted artistic method for processing ideas quickly—layering, fragmenting, and reshaping the visual world around us. Participants will create their own collage.