2023-24 University Gallery Schedule

The Gallery is free to visit and is open 8am to 4pm, Monday – Friday or by appointment.

Jump to the University Gallery Season Archives.

Permanent Art Collection Exhibition featuring the work of American Modernist photographer Virna Haffer
September 20, 2023– October 18, 2023
Opening Reception: September 20, 5-7pm

This exhibition highlights the wide range of subjects, media, and form that make up the University’s Permanent Art Collection with a special focus on the work of American Modernist photographer Virna Haffer. Come explore with us!

2023 Juried Student Art Exhibition
November 8, 2023 – December 8, 2023
Opening Reception: November 8, 5-7pm

The Juried Student Exhibition features exceptional work by PLU’s student artists chosen by a guest juror.

Shadowplay – Mare Blocker
February 21, 2024 – March 20. 2024
Opening Reception: February 21, 5-7pm

A retrospective of Storyteller and Book Artist Mare Blocker, featuring her recent explorations of light and shadow, tunnel books, and puppetry.

2024 Senior Exhibition 
April 17, 2024 – May 24, 2024
Opening Reception Wednesday, April 17 from 5-7pm

Please join the Department of Communication, Media & Design Arts to celebrate the accomplishments of graduating artists in the culmination of their degree program.

Previous Seasons Archive

Please click the below academic years to see past exhibitions and featured artists.

Selections from the Permanent Art Collection 
September 21, 2022 – October 19, 2022
Opening Reception Wednesday, September 21 from 5-7pm

This show highlights the wide range of subjects, media, and form that make up the University’s Permanent Art Collection. Come explore with us!

2022 Juried Student Art Exhibition 
November 9, 2022 – December 7, 2022
Opening Reception Wednesday, November 9 from 5-7pm

The Juried Student Exhibition celebrates the talents of PLU’s student artists, both those who are declared majors/minors and general students, as chosen by a guest juror.

Steve Sobeck Retrospective
February 22, 2023 – March 22, 2023
Opening Reception Wednesday, February 22 from 5-7pm

Ceramicist and long time PLU professor Steve Sobeck retired from teaching in 2022. He returns again for an exhibit of pottery spanning decades of work.

2023 Senior Exhibition 
April 19, 2023 – May 19, 2023
Opening Reception Wednesday, April 19 from 5-7pm

Please join the Department of Communication, Media & Design Arts to celebrate the accomplishments of graduating artists in the culmination of their degree program.

Contrast: Selections from the Permanent Art Collection 
September 22, 2021 – October 20, 2021
Opening Reception Wednesday, September 22 from 5-7pm

Examining opposites, Contrast highlights the wide range of subjects, media, and form that make up the University’s Permanent Art Collection. Come explore with us!

2021 Juried Student Art Exhibition 
November 10, 2021 – December 8, 2021
Opening Reception Wednesday, November 10 from 5-7pm

The Juried Student Exhibition celebrates the talents of PLU’s student artists, both those who are declared majors/minors and general students, as chosen by a guest juror.

Lauren Boilini: Ouroboros
February 23, 2022 – March 23, 2022
Opening Reception Wednesday, February 23 from 5-7pm

Painter Lauren Boilini’s expressive work highlights a talent for imaginative visual storytelling and contemplative mood. In Ouroboros she explores an ancient symbol associated with the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

2022 Senior Exhibition 
April 20, 2022 – May 18, 2022
Opening Reception Wednesday, April 20 from 5-7pm

Please join the Department of Art & Design to celebrate the accomplishments of graduating artists in the culmination of their degree program.

Juried Student Art Exhibition [virtual
November 20, 2020 – January 31, 2021

The Juried Student Art Exhibition features exceptional work by PLU’s student artists celebrates the talents of PLU’s student artists, chosen by guest juror Kimisha Turner.

Senior Capstone Exhibition
April 20 – May 31, 2021

We celebrate accomplishments of our graduating artists in the culmination of their degree program. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the main gallery show was virtual.  The Annex Gallery was opened in the Anderson University Center to display some of the students’ work to the PLU community.

Life Under Drones 
September 18 – October 16
Opening Reception: September 18 at 5pm

This exhibition brings together artistic installations that approach the topic of drone technology from a multitude of vantage points: art about drones, art against drones, and art made with drones.

Juried Student Exhibition
November 13 – December 11
Opening Reception: November 13 at 5pm

The Juried Student Exhibition features exceptional work by PLU’s student artists celebrates the talents of PLU’s student artists, chosen by a guest juror.

Risk and Control
February 15 – March 4
Opening Reception: February 12 at 5pm

Visiting Assistant Professor Alex Krajkowski’s work surrenders control to the multiple mechanical, chemical, and aesthetic processes that make up the photographic medium, yielding enigmatic and unexpected results.

View the Risk & Control Blog

Faculty Sabbatical Exhibition: Avila & Stasinos [Cancelled due to COVID-19]
Originally scheduled for March 11 – April 8

Senior Exhibition [Moved online due to COVID-19]
Originally scheduled for April 22 – May 22

We celebrate accomplishments of our graduating artists in the culmination of their degree program. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders, the gallery show became a webpage with links to student portfolio websites.

It’s All In The Details
September 19 – October 24, 2018
Opening Reception: September 19 at 5pm

This year’s gallery season opens with Pacific Northwest ceramicists who create unique home decor. Each of our featured artists rely on their strong forms and surface designs to interpret production pottery for the contemporary home.

Student Juried Exhibition
November 14 – December 12, 2018
Opening Reception: November 14 at 5pm

The Student Juried Exhibition celebrates the talents of PLU’s student artists, featuring exceptional artwork chosen by a guest juror.

Race & Personal Narrative
February 13 – March 20, 2019
Opening Reception: February 13 at 5pm

The book has a long history as a rich vessel for stories of the human condition. Amontaine Aurore and Kimisha Turner will present their artists’ book Reverie. They will be joined by Carletta Carrington Wilson, book artist.

Senior Exhibition
April 24 – May 24, 2019
Opening Reception: April 24 at 5pm

Celebrate the accomplishments of the graduating artists of the Department of Art and Design in their Senior Exhibition, the culmination of their degree program.

Joseph Rossano: Vanity
September 27 – November 3, 2017
Opening Reception: September 27 at 5pm

Vanity, by Pacific Northwest artist Joseph Rossano, is an installation that passionately addresses the great historical tradition of vanitas, but with a decidedly 21st-century version of translations of nature as a metaphor.

Student Juried Exhibition
November 15 – December 13, 2017
Opening Reception: November 15 at 5pm

The Student Juried Exhibition celebrates the talents of PLU’s student artists, featuring exceptional artwork chosen by a guest juror.

Finding Tacoma: The Changing Faces of the Northwest Environment
March 7 – April 4, 2018
Opening Reception: March 7 at 5pm

The University Gallery features the latest photography of PLU Professor Bea Geller, drawn from work completed during her recent sabbatical.

Senior Exhibition
April 25 – May 25, 2018
Opening Reception: April 25 at 5pm

Celebrate the accomplishments of the graduating artists of the Department of Art and Design in their Senior Exhibition, the culmination of their degree program.

Telling Tales: Selections from the Permanent Art Collection
September 7 – October 5, 2016
Opening Reception: September 27 at 5pm

Our first show features artworks from the University’s Permanent Art Collection. It explores the many different ways art seeks to draw the viewer in through narrative, and the range of reactions and interpretations a single artwork can evoke.

Esprit de Corps by Kate Hoyt
October 12 – November 9, 2016
Opening Reception: October 12 at 5pm

Consisting of video and projection art installations, this exhibition explores the potential of embodied ecstasy to exceed the boundaries of the self. Bodies are “centers of indeterminacy,” constantly expanding, re-contouring, and entangling with environments, flows, and Others. Depicting a multitude of material entanglements, this exhibition offers a meditation on embodied experience.

Student Juried Exhibition
November 16 – December 14, 2016
Opening Reception: November 16 at 5pm

The Student Juried Exhibition rounds out the fall semester by featuring exceptional work by PLU’s student artists, chosen by guest jurors.

Impressions by Craig Cornwall
February 8 – March 8, 2017
Opening Reception: February 15 at 5pm

This retrospective exhibition features the work of PLU’s recently-retired printmaker Craig Cornwall, presenting a wide range of imagery and media in work that is thought provoking and compelling.

Migration by Matthew Olds
March 15 – April 12, 2017
Opening Reception: March 15 at 5pm

The places we are from, the places we are, directly contribute to the people we have become and ultimately, where we will go. Artist Matthew Olds looks into the relationship of people moving through places from the Tacoma area, to current desperate global migrations, and ultimately the journey from life to death. Video, paintings, and site-specific sculptural installations, creates a dynamic multi- media visual conversation between both the works in the gallery and those who walk through it.

Senior Exhibition
April 19 – May 27, 2017
Opening Reception: April 19 at 5pm

Please join the Department of Art and Design as we celebrate the accomplishments of our graduating artists in the culmination of their degree program.

Selections from the Permanent Art Collection
September 10 – October 8, 2015

In celebration of PLU’s 125th year, the first exhibition of the season displays the range of media that make up the University’s Permanent Art Collection.

Foundation of Art Award Exhibit
October 14-November 11, 2015

The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation’s ‘Foundation of Art Award’ has been recognized as one of the most notable art awards in the South Sound. To celebrate the eighth anniversary of the Award, the Foundation is featuring the 13 talented artists nominated in 2015. The exhibit will also unveil the commissioned artwork created by the 2015 winning artist, Christopher Paul Jordan.

Student Juried Exhibition
November 18 – December 16, 2016

Rounding out the fall semester, the Student Juried Exhibition features exceptional work by PLU’s student artists, chosen by guest jurors.

Common Threads: An Overview of Scandinavian Textiles
February 3 – March 2, 2016
Opening Reception: February 10

Outstanding examples of textile art are featured in this exhibition, which is drawn from the collection of the Scandinavian Cultural Center at Pacific Lutheran University.

The Story Depends on the Teller: Book Arts in the Pacific Northwest
March 9 – April 6, 2016

The Pacific Northwest is nationally known for its strong community of book artists. This invitational exhibit features notable regional artists whose work utilizes the book. As part of the 2015 Focus Series, we explore the book’s long history as a vessel for stories in new and contemporary ways.

Senior Exhibition “In Flux”
April 20 – May 27, 2016

Please join the Department of Art and Design as we celebrate the accomplishments of our graduating artists in the culmination of their degree program.

ABSTRACT: Selections from the PAC
September 10 – October 8, 2014
Opening Reception: September 17 at 5pm

Composed of works from PLU’s permanent collection, this exhibition examines abstraction and the sometimes subtle, sometimes extreme ways in which it conveys meaning.

Students of Simon Kogan
October 15 – November 12, 2014
Opening Reception: October 15 at 5pm

Simon Kogan is an internationally known sculptor, painter, printmaker and teacher. This exhibition highlights the work of some of his talented long-time students.

Student Juried Exhibition
November 19 – December 17, 2014
Opening Reception: November 19 at 5pm

The final show of the fall semester features PLU student works selected by a guest juror.

National Print Exhibition: Vantage Points
February 4 – March 4, 2015
Opening Reception: February 10 at 5pm

The first exhibition of 2015 is a showcase of prints from all over the United States representing the best in contemporary printmaking. Learn more here.

Flowers, Butter, & Tea: Ceramics by Deborah Schwartzkopf
March 11 – April 8, 2015
Opening Reception: March 18 at 5pm

Deborah Schwartzkopf, a full time potter in Seattle, showcases work that redefines the utilitarian by bringing new and interesting form into everyday ceramics.

Deb Schwartzkopf was born and raised in Seattle. From 1999-2002 she earned her BA at the University of Alaska and worked for studio potters in the Anchorage area. In the Spring of 2005, Deb completed a MFA at Penn State. She has taught at Ohio University, Massachusetts College of Art and Design and the University of Washington. She has worked nationally at the Archie Bray Foundation, Mudflat Studios, the Clay Studio, and Pottery Northwest and internationally at Sanboa in Jingdezhen, China, the Ceramics Workcenter in Berin, Germany and taught with the University of Georgia’s study abroad program in Cortona, Italy. She teaches workshops and exhibits nationally and internationally. Please visit http://debspottery.com for upcoming events, studio assistant opportunities, or appointments at her Seattle, WA studio.

Senior Exhibition
April 22 – May 24, 2015
Opening Reception: April 22 at 5pm

This exhibit is a celebration of the culminating work of the graduating students of the Department of Art and Design.

Not available at this time.

2012-2013 Gallery Season

Earth, Sea, Sky: Selections from the PAC

Featuring work in a variety of media, this exhibition showcases expressive, realist, and even abstract landscapes drawn from PLU’s Permanent Art Collection.

The Physicality of the Present: Ann Johnston Schuster and John McCuiston

In the work of these two artists, we see figures made vulnerable by the physical and emotional constraints placed upon them. Ann Johnston Schuster’s prints present vulnerability not as a constraint, but as a link to our humanity. John McCuiston’s sculpture moves between history and myth, ceremony and humor.

Juried Student Exhibition

Exceptional work by PLU’s student artists, chosen by guest jurors, is featured in the fall semester’s final show.

Retrospective: David Keyes and Dennis Cox

Emeriti professors from the Department of Art and Design.

Each Form Overflows its Present Paintings by Elise Richman and Cynthia Camlin

Cynthia Camlin and Elise Richman engage in painterly processes that evoke water, ice, and geological processes. Camlin captures ice’s crystalline structure and the primordial depths of ice shelves, conveying environmental concerns. Richman’s process-driven work references the local marine environment in order to express interconnectedness and states of flux.

Senior Exhibition

Join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of the graduating artists of the Department of Art & Design.

2011-2012 Gallery Season

Color as Form

Color moves beyond hue, value and tone to embody structure, shape, and story. In these works, drawn from PLU’s Permanent Art Collection, color is key.

Matt Johnson

Tacoma artist Matt Johnson, a visiting instructor in the Department of Art & Design, explores the details of everyday life in his drawings and paintings.

Juried Student Exhibition

A highlight of the fall calendar, this show features the best work by Pacific Lutheran University student artists, as selected by guest jurors.

National Print Exhibition

This year, our Print Exhibition focuses on The Human Experience, showcasing juried works from a diverse selection of national and international artists. Learn more here.

Stone Soup

PLU students showcase ceramics to be featured in our third annual Empty Bowls event, which raises money for charitable causes. The show is held in conjunction with the 2012 National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts conference in Seattle.

Senior Exhibition

Join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of the graduating artists of the Department of Art & Design.

2010-2011 Gallery Season

Sept 8 – Oct 6: PLU Faculty Show

Oct 13 – Nov 10: University of Puget Sound Printmaker Janet Marcavage’s new work uses patterned imagery and the repetitive process of printmaking to explore the routines and surroundings of everyday life.

Nov 17 – Dec 15: Juried Student Exhibition

Feb 9 – Mar 9: Ceramicist and PLU alumna Heather Cornelius juxtaposes the human figure with other organic forms, drawing out truths about the feminine condition and human life in general.

Mar 16 – Apr 13: Tacoma sculptor Bret Lyon’s mixed media work is created from the remainders of earlier projects, highlighting the creative possibilities hidden in the things we consider waste.

Apr 27 – May 25: Senior Exhibition