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