CANTON, Mo. — 91ֱ�� will showcase student creativity and artistic achievement during the 2026 Student Honors Exhibition, opening with a public reception from 2–4 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, in the Mabee Art Gallery. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.

Awards will be announced at 2:30 p.m. during the reception. The exhibition will remain on display through May 13. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The annual exhibition provides an opportunity for Culver-Stockton students to present artwork created within the past year. This year’s show features work from 27 student artists, representing a range of media and artistic approaches, including works from Sara Gruenewald (senior, Silex, MO), Ava Jacobsen (junior, Taylor, MO), Tabitha Haxel (junior, Hannibal, MO), Jack Laney (junior, Montgomery, TX), and Dae’Ja Castillo (freshman, Fort Leonard Wood, MO).

The exhibition is juried by Culver-Stockton’s art faculty, with awards selected by an external judge. This year’s judge is Jan Clough, professor emeritus at Western Illinois University.

For more information 91ֱ��’s programs in art, art education, or arts management, please visit culver.edu/majors/.

CANTON, Mo. — 91ֱ��’s Mabee Art Gallery will present “The Eye and the Touch,”  a two-person exhibition featuring regional artists Jan Clough and Julie D. Nelson. The exhibition opens Thursday, Feb. 26 and will include a public reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. During the reception, the artists’ talk is set to start at 6 p.m., and refreshments will be served. The exhibition will be on view through Wednesday, April 1, and the opening reception and exhibition are open free to the public.

According to Jennifer Bock-Nelson, assistant professor of studio art and Mabee Gallery director at C-SC, “The Eye and the Touch” brings together two accomplished artists.

Jan Clough, a retired professor of art at Western Illinois University, taught drawing for more than three decades before retiring in August 2024. She earned her MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her BFA from Drake University. Clough’s drawings have been featured in numerous regional and national exhibitions and are held in both public and private collections. Originally from Burlington (Iowa), she continues to work actively in a range of two-dimensional media.

Julie D. Nelson holds a BFA in printmaking and an MFA in watercolor and drawing from Northern Illinois University. Since retiring from her role as director and curator at the Quincy Art Center in 2014, Nelson has exhibited widely throughout the upper Midwest, including at the Figge Art Museum in the Quad Cities, Quincy Art Center, Keokuk Art Center, and 91ֱ��. Her background in museum leadership has shaped her passion for connecting audiences with meaningful artistic experiences

“Though working in different styles and approaches, both artists share a deep commitment to seeing, responding, and engaging directly with their subjects,” Bock-Nelson said.

The Mabee Art Gallery is located on the 91ֱ�� campus and is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Learn more about majoring in art at 91ֱ�� at culver.edu/majors/art/.

Curated by C-SC faculty, the annual Senior Capstone Exhibition highlights each student’s individual creative direction and the culmination of their academic and artistic development.

“Our seniors have grown into confident, curious makers who are unafraid to explore new ideas. Uncharted Paths celebrates their creativity and their courage, with each piece offering a glimpse into where they’ve been and the exciting directions they’re ready to pursue,” said Jennifer Bock-Nelson, C-SC Assistant Professor of Studio Art.

The exhibition features work from the following seniors:

• Renee Allen, Davenport, Iowa — BA Art
• Damarai Allison, Hannibal, Missouri — BS Art Education
• Kelly Baccay, Quezon City, Manila, Philippines — BA Art
• Natori Flute, Chicago, Illinois — BFA Graphic Design
• Sara Gruenewald, Silex, Missouri — BFA Graphic Design
• Zoey Kiser, Macon, Missouri — BS Art Education / BFA Theatre
• Peyton Mast, Clayton, Illinois — BFA Graphic Design
• William Queen II, Kahoka, Missouri — BFA Graphic Design

The Mabee Art Gallery is open Monday–Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.

“Welcoming Kevin back to campus for Homecoming makes this exhibition especially meaningful,” said Jennifer Bock-Nelson, assistant professor of studio art and director of the Mabee Art Gallery. “His work reflects not only his talent and dedication as an artist but also the strong foundation he built here as a student. It’s exciting for our students and community to see how a Culver-Stockton education can grow into a lifelong creative journey.”

Dingman, who earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in art, has built a career rooted in photography, exploring a wide range of processes including bromoil, cyanotype, E-6, black-and-white, and digital. He said his work has consistently centered on the action and quality of light, reflecting his lifelong passion for capturing experiences through imagery.

His exhibition brings together a wide sampling of his career, featuring subjects and processes that span decades, alongside new prints from more recent work.

“This will be a show you’ll want to walk through more than once,” Dingman said. “I expect people will connect with different images in different ways, which is the nature of art.”

Returning to the Hill to exhibit in the Mabee Gallery, where he once worked as a student, is particularly meaningful for Dingman.

“It’s always nice to return where you started, to share your progress with those who knew you then, as well as a new audience who might see something different,” he said.

Dingman also offered advice for today’s Culver-Stockton art students: “When it comes to art, nothing is outdated, so be open to the old and established along with the new. That’s how breakthroughs are made.”

Kevin Dingman: A Retrospective runs from Saturday, Oct. 25 – Friday, Dec. 5. The Mabee Art Gallery, located in the Herrick Foundation Center on Culver-Stockton’s campus, is open Monday–Friday from 9 a.m.–4 p.m., and entry is free and open to the public.

For more information about majoring in art at C-SC, visit /majors/art/.

CANTON, Mo. — The 2025 Faculty Biennial Exhibition at 91ֱ�� will feature works from faculty and emeritus artists across a range of disciplines, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, digital media, and fiber arts. The exhibition opens Thursday, Sept. 4 with a reception from 5:30–7:30 p.m. and an artist talk that starts at 6 p.m. The exhibition will be held at the Mabee Gallery on the main level of the Herrick Foundation Center and is set to close Friday, Oct. 17. 

“The exhibition underscores the depth and diversity of 91ֱ��’s faculty, highlighting their professional accomplishments and creative practices alongside their teaching,” noted Jennifer Bock-Nelson, director of the Mabee Gallery and assistant professor of studio art.

Debra Scoggins-Meyers, “I will love you till the cows come home” (encaustic)

Participating artists include:

• Jennifer Bock-Nelson, MFA in painting and drawing
• Jeffrey Johnson, assistant professor of graphic design, MFA in illustration and visual culture
• Dustin Pruitt, assistant professor of communication, MFA in digital filmmaking
• Carol Clay Mann, adjunct instructor, MFA in sculpture
• James Zimmerman, adjunct instructor, art educator at Hannibal High School and owner of CoolByke Bicycle Shop, Master’s in Education
• Brittany Welker, adjunct instructor, art educator at Canton High School, Master’s in Art Curriculum
• Debra Scoggin-Meyers, professor emeritus of art, MFA in painting and drawing, exhibiting artist at Alliance Art Gallery in Hannibal, Mo.

Featured works include Zimmerman’s “Smothered Hearts” (acrylic on canvas), Bock-Nelson’s “Winter” (watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil), Johnson’s “Gunchiss, The Warrior Who Died a Thousand Deaths” (ink and gouache), Pruitt’s “Beyond the Frame” (digital photograph with augmented reality integration), Scoggin-Meyers’s “I will love you till the cows come home” (encaustic), and Mann’s “Flight of a Million Tears” (fiber).

Bock-Nelson, whose work reflects on human presence in an age of overwhelming digital stimuli, said her pieces aim to preserve “invisible fragments of the changing world.”

Johnson described his drawings as a record of attention: “They say more than ‘I was here.’ They say, ‘I noticed.’ They say that I gave my time and attention to what was in front of me.’”

Pruitt’s contributions combine photography and augmented reality to highlight themes of memory and place. “Even when extended through augmented reality, these works remain fragments of time: gathered, layered with meaning, and preserved for the viewer to step into,” he said.

The Mabee Gallery hours are Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

“We are thrilled to present the Student Honors Art Show, a celebration of the remarkable talent and dedication exhibited by our students,” remarked Scott Arthur, assistant professor of art and curator of the Mabee Art Gallery. “This exhibition not only showcases their artistic prowess but also serves as a testament to the vibrant arts culture thriving at 91ֱ��.”

For more information, please contact Arthur at sarthur@culver.edu or 573-288-6810.

Morgan Frankenhoff is from Quincy, Illinois. Her capstone is rebranding the business Little Bits and Pieces Antique Mall located in Quincy, Illinois. Emily Grodjesk is from North Henderson, Illinois. Her capstone involves branding a new business named 573 Cigar Co. Yerison Hierro is from the Bronx, New York. His capstone consists of the redesigning of the video game company Riot Games. Ryan Moore is from Melbourne, Australia. His capstone focuses on creating and branding a new brewing company called Iris Brewery, located in southeastern Glen Iris, Australia. Bailey Orsette is from Lapeer, Michigan. Her capstone is a revival of 60s branding and modern minimalism for a business named Flure. Diallo Walker is from Lansing, Michigan. His capstone aims to capture a refined and powerful aesthetic with his brand, Wolf Loyalty. Abbey Ward is from Hannibal, Missouri. Her capstone features the creation and branding of her fictional chocolate company, Nobleman Chocolate Co. Morgan Zavoral is from Mokena, Illinois. Their capstone project involves advertising for a theater production of Alice in Wonderland, reinterpreting Lewis Carroll’s timeless tale through an uncanny lens.

Rowdy Jackson is from Canton, Missouri. His capstone depicts nature’s beauty and its historical and contemporary devastation. Zhane Cariglia is from Portland, Maine. Her capstone revolves around a charcoal series of good versus evil, featuring two characters with their narrative and hardships.

91ֱ��’s Mabee Gallery is located in the Herrick Foundation Center and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on weekends by appointment.

Steven Walker and Keelie O’Brien, both C-SC students, were awarded top honors of Best of Show. Walker’s entry titled, “Just Me” was a self-portrait aimed to capture the artist in his natural habitat. The charcoal drawing was inspired by Caravaggio and Rembrant using the chiaroscuro method of intense light on one side of the face and very little on the other. O’Brien’s piece titled “Blooming Beauty” is a pastel landscape painting that was featured in her senior show and represents discovering beauty in hidden pieces surrounding our everyday lives.

Honorable mention awards were presented to:
Alexis Martin and Courtney Kernich from QU;
Amanda Pendergast and Emily Woodhurst from HLGU;
Gabrielle King, Keelie O’Brien, Morgan Zavoral, Steven Walker and William Klotzbach from C-SC.

Merit awards were presented to QU students Peyton Wiseman, Matt Stefan and Kori Kay Obert. HLGU merit awardees Reagan Jackson, Trinity Allen (2) and Emily Woodhurst (2). Merit award recipients from C-SC included Steven Walker and Morgan Zavoral.

Debra Myers, C-SC Art Department Chair, collaborated with HLGU’s Michael Chlebanoski to create the event. While the original event idea included a show in the Mabee Art Gallery at C-SC, COVID guidelines required a format change to a virtual gallery exhibit. Myers reflected, “While this was our first exhibit, we know it will change and improve each year. Next year we intend to have separate categories including graphic design, 2D and 3D design. It is also our hope that more colleges will participate in the future. This has been a great experience for our students to see their work in an intercollegiate exhibition!”

CANTON, Mo. — “Growth,” a pen and ink drawing of mushrooms by Taylor Pitford, a senior from Montrose, Iowa, and a self-portrait with his face painted like a clown by Nevin McNally, a senior from Quincy, Ill., were judged best in show as part of the annual Honors Art Exhibit at 91ֱ�� in May.

The exhibit highlights the top artwork created in an art department course at Culver-Stockton during the past academic year. Students may submit any number of entries, and the art department faculty selects the top 100. Juror Billyo O’Donnell, a plein air artist from St. Louis, was the juror who chose this year’s top pieces.

The President’s Choice was given to McNally for his oil painting of a dog. President Dr. Kelly M. Thompson selects a piece that will hang in the president’s office for the next year.

Steven Walker of Palmyra, Mo., won the Charles Meyer Award. Meyer, who died in 2012, started taking art classes at C-SC when he was in his late 80s, and his family annually provides a $100 award during the exhibit. The winner is selected by the C-SC art department faculty.

Keelie O’Brien of Kahoka, Mo., and Walker also shared the Virginia Carter Ahrens Award given to the most promising junior student.

Merit awards were given to:

• Megan Ferry of Kansas City, Mo., for her computer enhanced photo called “Abstract Landscape.”
• Max Phillips of Pittsfield, Ill., for her poster of the Icelandic rock band Sigur Ros.
• Walker for an oil painting of a self-portrait.
• O’Brien for a felt bowl.
• Markia McCullough of Hazelwood, Mo., for her acrylic painting of a self-portrait.

Honorable mention awards were given to:

• Christopher Peter of St. Peters, Mo., for his graphic design of a propaganda poster.
• Carlee Hummel of Pittsburgh, Pa., for her pencil drawing of a self portrait.
• Analiese Meany of Ewing, Mo., for her mixed media collage called “Keep Healing Nature,” a series of art and nature during a pandemic.
• Phillips, for her enhanced color photo of a student.
• Kerri MaGraw of Union, Mo., for her photo titled “Landslide Brought Me Down.”