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LSU Art Faculty Present Works: Spring 2026

Art, Ceramics, Painting & Drawing, Exhibitions, Faculty, , , , , ,

Holding exhibit poster with ceramics by Mikey Walsh, painting by Kelli KelleyHolding, U.N.O Gallery

U.N.O. Gallery in New Orleans presents Holding, the works of LSU School of Art faculty Michaelene (Mikey) Walsh and Kelli Scott Kelley, on view February 21-March 8, 2026.

“To hold is a universal act, both burden and embrace. It can mean to grasp, to endure, to carry, to comfort, or to resist. Holding acknowledges the exhaustion and complexity of daily life: the struggle to keep holding on to hope, to dreams, to joy, even amid disappointment, sorrow, and uncertainty,” according to the artists.

“This exhibition reflects the physical and emotional labor of holding what we can and cannot endure, what we must protect, and what we must release. It gestures toward the metaphorical and literal weight women carry: the work of mothering, caregiving, and sustaining, as well as the resistance of holding back against destructive forces: floodwaters, war mongers, monsters of power.”

“For both artists, the act of holding becomes a meditation on resilience, love, and the tenuous beauty of being human.”

Mikey Walsh and Kelli Kelley by painting in galleryKelley is professor of painting. In Kelley’s work, subconscious worlds populated by hybrid beings unfold into dreamlike narratives that explore humankind’s connections, disconnections, and impact upon the natural world. Through an alchemy of truth and magic, she seeks to reveal the supernatural woven through the everyday.

Walsh is associate professor of ceramics. In this series, Deep Time, Walsh sought solace in the eternal and enduring qualities of the ceramic vessel, an archetype found throughout human history. Returning to the most basic elements of the ceramic process, her work connects to many makers’ hands across time.

 

Jungle painting with green leaves, orange tropical bird beak

Jungle Boogie (Tulum), by Bradley Kerl, 2025. Oil on canvas, 80×60 in.

Bradley Kerl: Point of Light, Ivester Contemporary

Works by Bradley Kerl, assistant professor of art/painting, will be on view at Ivester Contemporary gallery in Austin Texas February 28 – April 4, 2026.

The artist talk is Saturday, February 28 at 6:30 p.m.

Point of Light marks Bradley Kerl’s third solo exhibition with the gallery and features a body of work that explores scale, structure, and the shifting meanings of familiar imagery. Kerl set out to create paintings of varying scales that maintain equal visual and conceptual strength regardless of size, building each composition atop a framework of geometry and symmetry that is then disguised, subverted, or reworked through an intuitive, painterly process.  

Drawing from a wide range of source material including personal photographs, memories, vernacular painting, and his children’s drawings, Kerl constructs layered paintings that operate as both collage and invention. The works examine how symbols and settings can transform depending on context, highlighting dualities such as beauty and destruction, warmth and violence, awe and unease. Recognizable imagery invites entry, while subtle disruptions and compositional shifts challenge certainty and encourage viewers to reconsider their initial assumptions. Embracing the visible process and the physical hand of the artist, Kerl foregrounds painterly imperfection as a response to increasingly algorithmic modes of image consumption.  

Developed during a period of personal and geographic transition as Kerl relocated with his family from Texas to Louisiana, the exhibition reflects on time, memory, and movement. The title Point of Light “functions as both description and inquiry, referencing the recurring presence of light throughout the paintings while also suggesting direction, focus, and possibility. Light serves here as both subject and metaphor, a source of warmth, life, and perception that guides viewers through a body of work grounded in reflection, transformation, and renewal.”

Kerl is an internationally recognized artist, appearing in group exhibitions across the US, Europe and Australia, and being awarded residencies in Texas, Italy and France. His work has also appeared in numerous publications including Dwell, Elle Decor, Artnews, The Financial Times, Süddeutsch Zeitung Magazine, Texas Monthly, and New American Paintings.

Learn more about the LSU School of Art.

Kristen Mauch Presented with Meeting Students’ Needs Award

Art & Design, Architecture, Faculty,

Kristen K. Mauch, NCARB, Associate Dean of Student Services and Associate Professor of Practice of Architecture, has been presented with the LSU Online Innovation Series 2026 Meeting Students’ Needs award, recognized for her dedication to LSU students.

“These courses are a great way to bring art & design topics to the larger LSU community,” said Arne Flaten, Dean of the LSU College of Art & Design. 

Since joining the LSU School of Architecture faculty in 2010, Mauch has taught in both the Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture programs. Prior to her appointment as Associate Dean, she served as the School of Architecture’s Undergraduate Coordinator and spearheaded the LSU Architecture Camp, a residential summer camp for high school students. Mauch is also a licensed architect in the state of Louisiana and serves as the Architect Licensing Advisor for LSU. Mauch’s research focuses on design pedagogy and beginning design education. 

“Professor Mauch genuinely cares about her students and it shows in how patient, understanding, and supportive she is,” said Molly Spring, online student. “She explains things clearly, makes herself available when help is needed and always wants students to succeed, not just pass. The online format was super organized and easy to follow. The lessons were clear, deadlines were reasonable and communication was great, which made learning much less stressful.”

“Overall, this was one of the most positive class experiences I’ve had. Professor Mauch created a supportive environment and made the course enjoyable and meaningful.  Congrats to you Professor Mauch! Well-deserved.”

“Professor Mauch was my professor for ARCH 2401, and what sets her apart is not only how she teaches, but how deeply she cares,” said student Sequoia Sledge. “From the very beginning, she made it clear that students mattered not just as learners, but as people. She was consistently present, approachable, and attentive, ensuring that no one felt overlooked or left behind. Her encouragement and thoughtful feedback gave students confidence, especially during moments of uncertainty or challenge.”

“The online class experience was especially meaningful because Professor Mauch made it feel human. She created structure without rigidity, clarity without pressure, and support without judgment. Even in a virtual space, she fostered connection, motivation, and trust something that is rare and powerful.”

“Professor Mauch is extremely generous and truly cares about her students’ success,” said student Dan Braden. “Even through an online class, she was always quick to respond to questions or help with clarifications. It is easy to see that she has true passion for the class she teaches and values us as students learning the desired lesson. I am very appreciative for the experience. Congratulations!”

Mauch was also awarded a 2024 LSU Alumni Association Faculty Excellence Award and 2019 CxC Outstanding Faculty Award. She teaches courses including: ARCH 2401: Appreciation of Architecture (on-campus) and ARCH 2002/2102: Architectural Design IV.

She has received high praise from students in her in-person class as well. “Professor Mauch not only ensures her students succeed in architecture but also reaches out of her way to guarantee all of her students a successful and bright future in general. I think every student at LSU would benefit greatly if they had a professor like Professor Mauch,” said Sam Duffy, architecture student. 

“Professor Mauch teaches with compassion, intention, and heart,” said Sledge. “Her impact extends far beyond course content; she leaves students feeling capable, valued, and inspired. This award reflects what her students already know she makes a lasting difference.”

Learn more about LSU Online.

Learn more about the LSU School of Architecture.

Huili Wang Explores How Built Environments Can Better Support Sensory Needs

Art & Design, Research, Publications, Interior Design, Faculty,

Huili WangInterior design assistant professor Dr. Huili Wang is leading research that rethinks how the built environment can better serve individuals with diverse sensory processing needs. Her work centers on a simple but powerful idea: interior spaces should be designed to support how people actually experience the world — through their senses.

Understanding Sensory Input in Design

Most people gather information about their surroundings through a combination of sight, sound, touch, smell, and spatial awareness. These sensory systems work together to help individuals interpret and respond appropriately to their environment.

However, for people with sensory processing challenges, this integration does not always function smoothly. When sensory signals fail to organize correctly, everyday environments can become overwhelming, confusing, or even distressing. Bright lighting, loud background noise, strong patterns, or crowded layouts may cause irritation or anxiety rather than comfort.

Wang’s research examines how interior environments can be intentionally designed to reduce these stressors and promote well-being for all users — not just those with diagnosed sensory conditions.

“The purpose of this study was to address the importance of sensory input within the built environment and develop design guidelines to accommodate the needs of all users,” she said. “For many children and adults, the built environment is an uncomfortable place due to sensory processing problems.”

“Typically, people receive information about the surrounding environment through their senses collectively. However, sensory processing problems may occur when sensory signals do not integrate to provide appropriate responses. As a result, the environment may cause a person to feel confused or irritated.”

“A Sensory Approach to Design: Inclusive Principles” was published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders in December 2025. Wang co-authored the article with researchers Kristi Gaines and Michelle Pearson, Texas Tech University faculty, and Angela Bourne, Fanshawe College.

Design Solutions for All

Auditory and Tactile sound triggers were found to be the most problematic sensory responses. Unexpected sounds, background noise, and noise from mechanical systems were among the most problematic, while incorporating music and nature sounds were found to alleviate sound triggers. Tactile sensitivity in the environment was increased or reduced based on textures and materials, available personal space, and temperature.

The research also showed that all users of a space benefited from the integration of inclusive design principles, the researchers concluded. The report might benefit design professionals, educators, administrators, parents and the general public.

The purpose of the study is not only to understand sensory input but to translate findings into actionable design guidelines. Her research addresses the importance of sensory input within the built environment and seeks to develop frameworks that accommodate the needs of all users.

Rather than designing exclusively for an “average” occupant, Wang promotes inclusive design principles that consider a wide spectrum of sensory experiences. This approach aligns with universal design philosophy — creating environments that are accessible and comfortable for as many people as possible.

Why This Research Matters

When sensory signals do not integrate properly, a person may feel confused, irritated, or overwhelmed. Over time, this can affect concentration, emotional regulation, productivity, and overall well-being.

By addressing sensory factors at the design stage, architects and interior designers can:

  • Improve mental health outcomes
  • Support individuals with sensory processing differences
  • Enhance comfort for everyone

Wang’s research underscores an important truth: design is not merely aesthetic — it is neurological, psychological, and deeply human.

As awareness of sensory diversity grows, her work positions the LSU School of Interior Design at the forefront of inclusive interior design research, helping shape environments that truly serve all users.

The LSU School of Interior Design explores these design principles through teaching methods as well, to educate the next generation of interior designers, said Marsha Cuddeback, director of the school.

“We encourage students to think about how environments are actually experienced by the people who use them,” she said. “Sensory awareness and universal design principles are integrated throughout our curriculum—from foundational courses to advanced studios—helping students design spaces that support wellbeing, inclusion, and a wide range of human abilities.”

Wang is an interdisciplinary researcher with a background in Interior and Environmental Design, with research interests including neurodiversity and equity in the built environment.

Learn more about the LSU School of Interior Design.

LSU School of Art Spring 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibitions at Glassell Gallery

Students, Galleries, Events, Art, Digital Art, Graphic Design, Painting & Drawing, Printmaking, Exhibitions

Each year, LSU School of Art Master of Fine Arts candidates prepare a thesis exhibition to share the culmination of the three-years of study and practice at LSU School of Art. This year, Glassell Gallery will host the work of seven graduate students in five exhibitions beginning March 21. MFA candidates will share their work, lead gallery tours, and the gallery will host free receptions open to all. LSU School of Art invites our community to share in these artists’ accomplishments throughout March, April, and May and join us for receptions, gallery talks, and artist demonstrations.  

Read a more detailed description of each artist’s exhibition.

Tommi Bonomo: Edges That Touch 

Edges That Touch examines the instability of gender through the lens of combat sports, focusing on the way the hypermasculine environment abstracts femme identities. Informed by my lived experience, the work investigates the paradox in which empowerment and alienation coexist and destabilizes gender binaries. This exhibition will be on view March 21–28 at Glassell Gallery with a reception on March 28 from 6–8 p.m. Tommi Bonomo will give a gallery talk Saturday, March 28 at 5:30 p.m. 

Sarah Moschel Miller: To be closer  |  Mia Isabel Pons: this body held others 

To be closer delves into the intersections between intimacy, unease, and the interpersonal. Sarah Moschel Miller’s works use the visual language of the body and its thresholds to explore how each of us builds interpersonal connections and understandings of self.  

Concurrently, Mia Isabel Pons explores the body’s invisible depths, the unseen and its interpersonal memories in the exhibition, this body held others. Through print, book arts, and printmaking, the work draws upon her personal archives and collected, reconstructed, and recycled imagery to examine survival through both a corporeal and spiritual lens.  

These two exhibitions will be on view April 4–11, 2026 with a reception scheduled for Thursday, April 11 from 6–8 p.m. Both artists facilitate gallery demonstrations open to the public. Miller will lead a hand sculpting workshop Saturday, April 4 from 1–3 p.m. and Pons will deliver a papermaking demo on Saturday, April 4 from 3–5 p.m. 

Serena Corson: Touching Grass: Reimagining the Commons 

Responding to the history of the enclosure of communal land, this exhibition reimagines the commons through an ecofeminist and animist lens, using intuitive artmaking and symbolic imagery. This exhibition will be on view April 18–25 with a closing reception the evening of April 25 from 6–8 p.m. Serena Corson will host a series of programs entitled “The Art of Hosting is the Highest Form of Art” on Sunday, April 19 and Wednesday, April 22 from 5–7 p.m.; more information and tickets can be found at LSU College of Art & Design Galleries Eventbrite Page 

Jacob Mills: AEX26: Arts & Electronics Expo |  Nicholas Roberts: Within These Walls 

Jacob Mills’ project, AEX26, the Arts & Electronics Expo 2026, is an experimental convention hosted in a gallery setting that presents a curated selection of companies and their products through the visual and organizational language of trade shows. Featuring games, toys, adult novelties, and self-help technologies, the exhibition invites audiences to encounter a collection of niche commercial offerings developed in response to rare, specific, or overlooked use cases.  

Concurrently, Within These Walls reflects on the Nicholas Roberts’ evolving sense of home. Through printmaking, drawing, and sculpture, Roberts considers how everyday objects and personal spaces hold memory, invite reflection, and mark moments of transition. The work explores what it means to outgrow one’s understanding of home and begin to redefine it. 

These two exhibitions will be on view May 2–16 with a reception scheduled for Saturday, May 9, from 6–8 p.m. Nicholas Roberts will lead a mezzotint demonstration during Free First Sunday, May 3 from 1–2 p.m.  

Glassell Gallery Hours:  

Tuesday–Wednesday: 12–5 p.m. 

Thursday–Friday: 12–7 p.m. 

Saturday–Sunday: 12–5 p.m. 

Closed Mondays, between exhibitions, and during LSU closures. 

Brendan Harmon Juror of AI: Artistic Interpretations

Landscape Architecture, Events, Art, Exhibitions, Faculty, Doctor of Design

Brendan HarmonBrendan Harmon, associate professor of landscape architecture, was a juror for the LSU Museum of Art (MOA) exhibition AI: Artistic Interpretations. On view February 5–May 10, 2026 and organized by Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA), the exhibition was also juried by Golden Richard III, professor of computer science, and LSU MOA chief curator Michelle Schulte.

Featuring 35 artists, AI: Artistic Interpretations examines the rapidly evolving relationship between human creativity and artificial intelligence. When asked if it can create art better than a human, ChatGPT responds, “I can produce artworks quickly, combine styles, and iterate without fatigue, but ‘better’ is subjective—humans bring intention, emotion, and lived experience. I excel at tools and variation; humans excel at meaning. The best art often comes from human–AI collaboration.”

Many artists, creators, and designers worry artificial intelligence will reduce art to mere data or algorithms, replacing their carefully honed skills and creative genius, potentially rendering them obsolete. Others see it as an opportunity to expand imaginative possibilities and explore new forms of expression. To them, AI is a collaborative tool. The fear is real, as is the endless potential, with both sides taking passionate stands. The artists in this exhibition “embrace, question, resist, or reinterpret AI’s role in artistic practice.”

“Ultimately, the question isn’t whether AI can make art better than a human—it’s what we want art to be. This exhibition doesn’t offer a definitive answer; instead, it invites viewers to reflect on the evolving relationship between creativity and technology,” according to LSU MOA.

Harmon is the Emerson Womack Professor in the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture with expertise in spatial science, computational design, and robotics. He works at the intersection of the spatial sciences and computational design, exploring the entanglement of ecology and technology.

The exhibition will travel nationally following its debut in Baton Rouge.

Gulf Coast 2050 Workshop & Symposium

Art & Design, Students, Events, Architecture, Lectures

Gulf Futures 2050 handbook cover with purple map in background

The LSU School of Architecture held the Gulf Coast 2050: Speculative Design for Possible Futures workshop at LSU January 28–31, 2026. The interdisciplinary All-School Workshop & Symposium (ASW) brought together students, faculty, and leading voices from architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, the humanities, social sciences, and coastal research to imagine possible futures for the Gulf Coast.

Organized by the LSU School of Architecture and the Caribbean Spatial Justice Lab, the ASW is a three-day experiment in collective foresight. It convenes students, faculty, and leading voices in architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and coastal sciences to visualize possible futures. The event has a special emphasis on storytellers who can turn evidence into provocative narratives to guide the second half of this century.

The 2026 All-School Workshop was coordinated by architecture faculty Fabio Capra-Ribeiro, Traci Birch, Sergio Padilla, and Irene Brisson – with generous support from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Gulf Research Program and the Caribbean Spatial Justice Lab.

“Through collective mapping, storytelling, and speculative design, teams examine[d] ecological, social, and infrastructure systems, then project bold, evidence-based scenarios for life in 2050,” the faculty organizers said.

“The Gulf Coast is alive with motion and tension. Communities face immediate shocks from technological disasters and storms, along with long arcs of sea level rise and land loss. These impacts force migration that exacerbates both rural and urban poverty, intensifies agricultural and industrial waste, and produces vacancies and residual spaces. Addressing these complex issues requires innovative framework and big ideas that exceed traditional disciplinary boundaries.”

“This is a space for experimentation, risk-taking, and big ideas that push beyond disciplinary boundaries toward resilience, equity, and long-term well-being.”

The workshop was an interesting learning experience, said Trey Meyer, Bachelor of Architecture candidate, particularly in analyzing the role of AI as a potential support tool. “The premise of the project was incredibly interesting, but made me question the use of generative AI in a project about sustainability,” he said.

Using co-production and design thinking, workshop participants mapped the relationship between ecological, social, and infrastructure systems in order to analyze current and probably conditions. These mapping function as analytical instruments and creative provocations that frame each team’s future scenario.

Given the scale of what is at stake, minor adjustments will not do. This is a space for boldness, no grades and no judgement, where risk and experimentation outperform incrementalism. Over the course of three days, experts from diverse institutions and practices will guide interdisciplinary teams through an intensive exploration of possibility.

Themes include retreating and receiving communities, regenerative coastal infrastructures, and adaptive ecological networks. The goal is not to predict the future. The goal is to expand it, then design responses as large as the challenges ahead to improve health, well-being, and cultivate long-term Gulf Coast resilience.

“Architecture is interdisciplinary by nature. We might be among the best situated to face such a complex task. You will team with voices from ecology, public health, engineering, social sciences, the arts and many more to connect beyond our usual comfort zone and build scenarios that stand up to scrutiny.”

Dasjon Jordan, an organizer, designer, and planner from New Orleans, gave the opening lecture “Broad Community Connections.” Workshop leaders included Tori Bush, postdoctoral fellow at Tulane University’s Global Humanities Center; Caulin Donaldson, social and environmental activist “Trash Caulin”; Jordany Fortune, University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras; Daniel Jato-Espino, Universidad Internacional de Valencia; Madoche Jean Louis, water resources engineer at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through Dynamic Solutions; Casey Jones, University of California, Berkeley; Anca Matyiku, University of Cincinnati; Vanessa Moscardó Garcia is a Data Scientist and Senior Researcher at the Interntational University of Valencia; Rebeca de Jesus Crespo and Thomas Douthat, assistant professors of environmental sciences at LSU; Brendan Harmon, associate professor of landscape architecture at LSU; Nolanda Jones, assistant professor of interior design at LSU; Hannah Hopewell, associate professor of landscape architecture; Sophonie Joseph, Pratt Institute; scholars Courtney Klee, Marty Miller, Haley Blakeman, and artist Hannah Chalew.

The workshop concluded with a public exhibition and symposium where teams present their work to community stakeholders, agency partners, and scholars, opening an honest conversation about our shared future, opening a conversation about how we design the futures we want to inherit.

 

Exhibition & Lecture by Nadine Carter Russell Chair, Interior & Architectural Designer Ria Bravo

Art & Design, Interior Design, Galleries, Events, Exhibitions

LSU School of Interior Design will present Ria Bravo: Interiors Under Construction January 28 through February 28 in the Clark and Laura Boyce Gallery. Interiors Under Construction explores the interior as an active, evolving system shaped by bodies, labor, materials, and emerging technologies. Through drawings, models, and spatial experiments, the exhibition reframes partitions, assemblies, and construction processes as sites of agency and speculation. The work invites viewers to see interiors not as finished products, but as provisional, inhabited, and continually becoming.

Ria Bravo, Interior & Architectural Designer, will give the spring 2026 Nadine Carter Russell Chair Lecture “Interiors Under Construction” to the LSU College of Art & Design Wednesday, January 28 at 3:30 p.m. in 130 Nicholson Hall. A free, public reception will follow the lecture in The Clark and Laura Boyce Gallery located in Julian T. White Hall.

Ria Bravo is an architect, interior designer, builder, and educator whose work challenges traditional boundaries between construction and design. She is the founder and principal of Ria Bravo Design, a studio recognized for its hands-on, materially driven approach to architecture and interiors. Her work spans residential renovations, boutique commercial spaces, and custom-designed furniture, unified by a commitment to craft, material intelligence, and human experience.

Born and raised in Tennessee, Bravo received her undergraduate in interior design and graduate education in architecture before working at Gensler and Morphosis Architects, where she contributed to high-profile cultural and institutional projects. These formative professional years cultivated her ability to move fluidly between conceptual design, technical documentation, and site execution—a skillset she has expanded through her own design-build practice.

Her work has been informed by extensive research into construction labor, interior partitions, embodied experience, and the poché as an occupied spatial condition. As an Assistant Professor of Interior Design at the University of Texas at Austin, Bravo’s teaching explores the intersection of making, theory, and the body—often through full-scale fabrications, material investigations, and collaborative design-build installations.

Her projects and pedagogical work have been recognized within interior design and architecture circles for advancing a mode of practice that is as intellectually rigorous as it is practical. She is currently developing new research and built work that examine the future of interior construction, domestic typologies, and designer-led development models.

Mardi Gras Project Selected for International Design Award

Students, Research, Landscape Architecture, Honors & Awards, Architecture,

Masood Koochaki’s Mardi Gras-inspired studio project, “The Spine: A Celebration of Mardi Gras and Collective Presence,” received an International Design Awards (IDA) 2025 Silver Award in Commercial Architecture – Cultural/Educational Architecture, with Louisiana State University recognized as the winning university.

Masood is a dual degree Master of Architecture (MArch) and Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) student studying at the LSU College of Art & Design. The interdisciplinary approach integrates design principles for a wholistic understanding of built environments.

“My research focuses on inclusive design and shaping climate responsive public spaces,” Masood said. “In my design work, I’m especially interested in how architecture can translate local culture into durable civic spaces while meeting real needs of comfort, accessibility, and resilience.”

The Spine is a community center in New Orleans’ Seventh Ward that transforms Mardi Gras’ ephemeral festival into a permanent architectural framework. Its central procession spine threads through workshops, theaters, galleries, and gathering spaces, making circulation performative. “Float-inspired form, textile-patterned façades, and a wave-like timber canopy evoke movement, craft, and cultural memory.”

“The project reinterprets Carnival’s dynamic processions into enduring spatial typologies, offering a civic vessel where festivity, craft, and cultural memory coexist year-round,” he wrote in his design statement.

The project was developed at the LSU School of Architecture (ARCH 7006) with guidance from assistant professor of architecture Annicia Streete.

The School of Architecture is a leader in building exemplary professional expertise and rigorous scholarship on the built environment through diverse perspectives, knowledge integration and applied research emerging from the Mississippi delta and engaging global environments

Learn more about the Master of Architecture program.

The Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture has an established international reputation as one of America’s leading and consistently top-ranked programs.

Learn more about the Master of Landscape Architecture program.

LSU School of Art presents “The Middle: Paintings by Will Maxen & Bradley Kerl”

Research, Galleries, Events, Art, Painting & Drawing, Exhibitions, Faculty, , ,

LSU School of Art’s Glassell Gallery will feature the work of painters Will Maxen and Bradley Kerl, who recently joined LSU School of Art’s faculty. The Middle finds common ground in the praxes of these two faculty painters who share a deep interest in the materiality and application of paint in their studio practices. Both artists compose images through a variety of methods—collage, iterative repetition, historical and everyday references—that, together, collapse linear time through a paradoxical focus on fleeting moments and enduring presence. This exhibition will be on view January 17–March 14, 2026.  

An opening reception is planned for Saturday, January 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Glassell Gallery. More programs will be announced in the coming weeks. All programs and events are free and open to all.   

Will Maxen is a painter and an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at LSU School of Art. Maxen weaves together personal experiences and historical narratives that shift between figures and landscapes. His paintings explore the relationships among memory and the environment, inviting viewers to reflect on their own sense of belonging. The layers of visibility and abstraction in his work allow for multiple interpretations, bridging the gap between the literal and the metaphorical. 

Maxen received his BA in Illustration from Central Connecticut State University and an MFA in Art Studio from the University of California, Davis. He has had solo exhibitions at Fridman Gallery, New York; Residency Art Gallery, Los Angeles (Felix Art Fair); and UTA Art Space, New York. His work has been featured in group shows at Welancora Gallery, New York; Fridman Gallery, New York; Canepa Selling Gallery, Los Angeles, Marrow Gallery, San Francisco; Chili Art Projects, London. In 2024, he was an artist-in-residence at Silver Art Project and the New Jewish Culture Fellowship. His work is held in the collections of the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, Davis, the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection, and the Art Galleries at Black Studies, University of Texas.

Bradley Kerl is a painter and an Assistant Professor of Art at LSU School of Art. Born in Beaumont, TX, Kerl holds Drawing & Painting degrees from both the University of North Texas (BFA) and the University of Houston (MFA). Kerl’s practice investigates methods of framing subjects through the medium and history of painting. Using an iterative approach and often broadening his scope to the use of common occurrences – his own pocket supercomputer, the art classroom’s still-life, his children’s drawings, a sunset – Bradley’s paintings are a call and response of completely banal yet totally transcendent everyday moments.  

His work has been featured, most recently, in solo exhibitions at McClain Gallery, Houston, TX, NADA’s Project Space, New York, NY; Art League Houston, Houston, TX; and Ivester Contemporary, Austin, TX. He is an internationally recognized artist, appearing in group exhibitions across the US, Europe, and Australia, and being awarded residencies in Texas, Italy, and France. His work has also appeared in numerous publications including Dwell, Elle Decor, Artnews, The Financial Times, Süddeutsch Zeitung Magazine, Texas Monthly, and New American Paintings.  

  

Reception  

Saturday, January 17, 2026, 6–8 p.m.  

Glassell Gallery  

100 Lafayette Street  

Baton Rouge, LA 70803  

  

Glassell Gallery Hours  

Tuesday–Sunday, 12:00–5:00 p.m.  

Open until 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays.  

Closed Mondays and between exhibitions. 

 

Images:  

Will Maxen, Untitled, 2025, 60×65″ oil, acrylic on canvas 

Bradley Kerl, SLAT, 2025