Past Exhibitions and Events
Past Exhibitions
Water
Location: Mimi and Ian Rolland Art Center
Aug. 24 – Sept. 17, 2026
Gallery will be closed Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4–7.
Edward Burtynsky (Canada, b. 1955) is regarded as one of the world’s most accomplished contemporary photographers. His remarkable photographic depictions of global industrial landscapes represent over 40 years of his dedication to bearing witness to the impact of human industry on the planet. Burtynsky’s photographs are included in the collections of over 80 major museums around the world, including the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa; the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York; the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid; the Tate Modern in London, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in California.
This exhibition is sponsored by Franklin Electric.
Annual Alumni and Faculty Art Exhibition
Location: Mimi and Ian Rolland Art Center
Dec. 6–17, 2025
Reception: Saturday, Dec. 6 (6-8 p.m.)
This exhibition will display a wide variety of works from Saint Francis Creative Arts alumni, along with current and retired faculty.
A feature exhibit from alumna Brooke Owens will include a selection of mixed media works on canvas and fabric. Owens is an artist and educator originally from Fort Wayne. She is the Registrar at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, teaches community painting and drawing courses for its Office of Engagement and participates in mural projects throughout the warmer months.
Figure Now
Location: Mimi and Ian Rolland Art Center
Oct. 6 – Nov. 19, 2025
Reception: Thursday, Oct. 9 (5-7 p.m.)
Gallery will be closed Oct. 16-19 for the academic Fall Break.
This exhibition focuses on artists who approach the human figure from abstraction to hyperrealism, from traditional to surreal. These contemporary works are on loan from long-time Saint Francis partner, Gallery VICTOR in Chicago.
The Eclectic Collector
Location: Mimi and Ian Rolland Art Center
Sept. 2–24, 2025
Reception: Saturday, Sept. 6 (6-8 p.m.)
This exhibition displays works owned by a variety of local collectors, showcasing the many spectacular works of art that reside in Northeast Indiana. Several of the works have been generously gifted to the university’s collection.
This exhibition is sponsored by 3Rivers Federal Credit Union.
Violins & Hope Photo Exhibition
Location: Mimi and Ian Rolland Art Center
March 11–23, 2025
The exhibition of author and photographer Daniel Levin’s 43 masterfully printed and framed photographs document luthier Amnon Weinstein’s collection of violins, his workshop in Tel Aviv, and his processes for restoration. These are beautiful photographic representations of Weinstein’s delicate and enduring violins that have miraculously survived the Holocaust.
Rick Cartwright Retrospective Exhibition
Location: Mimi and Ian Rolland Art Center
Aug. 26 – Oct. 13, 2024
Gallery will be closed Labor Day weekend, Aug. 31 – Sept. 2.
Rick Cartwright (1951-2023) was a member of the Saint Francis faculty from 1975 to 2017 and was the founding dean of the School of Creative Arts in 2004, serving in that role until his retirement in 2017. This exhibition will display works spanning five decades in a variety of media including drawing, painting, digital imaging and found object sculpture. This exhibition will describe not only Cartwright’s creative output but also his dedication to teaching, and is the largest ever exhibition of his work.
Past Lectures
Artist Panel Lecture
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026 (6 p.m.)
Location: Mimi and Ian Rolland Art Center
This lecture will feature regional artists Erin Patton McFarren, Sarah Thomas and Ashley Beatty. They will present their work on how it relates to climate and the natural environment. Dr. Louise Weber, professor of biology and environmental science, will serve as moderator.
This lecture is sponsored by Franklin Electric.
From Manet to Fort Wayne—A Tale of Two Paintings
Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025 (6 p.m.)
Location: Mimi and Ian Rolland Art Center
Dr. Elizabeth Kuebler will present a free lecture on an important painting by the French artist Louis Fabien (1924-2016) in an event presented through the partnership of the University of Saint Francis and the History Center (Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society).
This lecture is sponsored by 3Rivers Federal Credit Union.
Ken Thompson – Closer Look Lecture Series
Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023 (noon)
Location: Mimi and Ian Rolland Art Center
Thompson will present a lecture that focuses on his studio practice and career as a sculptor. He will describe his experiences as an outdoor, environmental artist and how materials such as stone, metal, and wood can define how a sculpture is designed.
This lecture is sponsored by 3Rivers Federal Credit Union.
Deborah Orloff – Closer Look Lecture Series
Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022 (noon)
Location: Mimi and Ian Rolland Art Center
Orloff, a Toledo-based artist, will explain how dementia and Alzheimer’s disease thematically influence her creative process as a photographer. Works by the artist will be on display Oct. 31–Nov. 20 at the Rolland Art Center.
This lecture is sponsored by 3Rivers Federal Credit Union.
Dr. Andria Derstine – Closer Look Lecture Series
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022 (6 pm)
Location: San Damiano Hall (North Campus) Auditorium
A lecture on Jim Dine’s artistic practice will be presented by Dr. Andria Derstine, the John G. W. Cowles Director of the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College, Ohio. Dine’s first solo exhibition was held in 1965 at the Allen, and he has continued to partner with the institution—including a retrospective exhibition of drawings in 2005 and a residency and installation in 2015.
This lecture is sponsored by 3Rivers Federal Credit Union.