Sharp Museum

09/08/2026

Continuing our look back at the wonderful opening and reception on Friday, September 4, we were honored to also welcome Sunyoung Cheong, one of the two featured artists who shared her work and artistic practice with our visitors.

Sunyoung Cheong is an artist and educator born in Seoul, South Korea, and an Assistant Professor of Metalsmithing and Jewelry at the University of Kansas. She is also a KU alumna, earning both her BFA in 2010 and MFA in 2014.

Cheong’s work brings together digital technologies and traditional metalsmithing practices to create thoughtful visual narratives. Through her exploration of the honeybee and beehive, she considers ideas of identity, belonging, and building a sustainable community.

It was wonderful to hear Sunyoung speak about her work and process and to see visitors engage with her artwork throughout the gallery. Her unique approach to combining technology, craft, and storytelling offered much to consider and appreciate.

We’re grateful to Sunyoung for being part of this special evening and for sharing her work with our community. 🐝✨

09/08/2026

Thanks to everyone who came and made the opening of one of our new exhibits a success.
We were thrilled to celebrate the current exhibition with a wonderful reception on Friday, September 4, featuring a lecture by Adam Hawk, studio artist and Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Hawk teaches blacksmithing and design in the College of Arts and Architecture, where he serves as Area Head of Digital Fabrication and Design and Program Director of Blacksmithing. He earned his MFA in metalsmithing/blacksmithing from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and his BFA in sculpture and computer fine arts from the Memphis College of Art. Before joining UWM, he taught at Memphis College of Art and worked as a blacksmith at the National Ornamental Metal Museum.

It was a pleasure to hear Adam share his work, ideas, and experiences, and to welcome so many wonderful visitors to the gallery. Thank you to everyone who joined us, engaged with the exhibition, and helped make the evening such a memorable celebration of art, craft, and community.
Be sure to stop by the Sharp Museum's North Hall Continuum gallery and enjoy this captivating exhibit.

09/04/2026

Have you ever seen a newspaper quite like this? 👀

Created by SIU alumnus Tim Atseff, The Last Newspaper is a striking 118 x 55-inch installation that creatively echoes the composition of Leonardo da Vinci’s *The Last Supper*. Atseff, who graduated from Southern Illinois University in 1970, brings a powerful and imaginative perspective to the changing world of print journalism.

The piece is part of Requiem for Newspapers, currently on exhibition in the North Hall Mitchell Gallery at the Sharp Museum.

Come see this impressive work in person—you’ll want to take a closer look at every detail! 📰✨

09/03/2026

https://news.siu.edu/2026/08/082826-siu-hosts-metalsmiths-conference-sept-4-5.php

Get ready to hammer down and light the forge next weekend at the annual Southern Illinois Metalsmiths Society (SIMS) conference at Southern Illinois University Carbondale on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 4-5.

09/03/2026

**A New Semester, New Faces! 🎉**

Sharp Museum Curator T. Lance enjoyed the excitement of meeting so many new students at Morris Library’s Annual Open House! Students explored the resources available through Library Affairs, including the Sharp Museum, while testing their knowledge with artifact trivia.

With 9 artifacts from our Education Collection representing Peru, Ecuador, Nepal, and Mexico, there was plenty to discover—and even some Sharp Museum swag to take home!

We’re excited to welcome all of our new students this fall. Keep an eye out for those Sharp Museum shirts around campus! 🖤

09/03/2026

This Exhibit is now up and going in The South Hall’s West Gallery.

08/28/2026

08/28/2026

There’s something magical about the way art makes us see the world differently. 🌎✨

Graduate assistant Jerri couldn’t help but see this live satellite image of the Pacific spinning with six named tropical systems and immediately think of the incredible work in Dawn Murtaugh's quilt exhibition, “As Above, So Below and In Between.”
Dawn’s As above pieces look remarkably like the swirling patterns in this news image—but, to me, the quilts are even more beautiful. 💙🌀🧵

The satellite image captures the power, movement, and mystery of the atmosphere from above. Dawn’s quilt takes those same shapes, textures, colors, and rhythms and transforms them into something we can touch and experience up close. It’s amazing how nature can inspire art, and art can help us see nature in a whole new way. The Pacific is spinning up above… and Dawn’s work reminds us that those same beautiful patterns can find their way into fabric, thread, and imagination.

As above, so below, and in between. 💙🌊🌀🧵
You have a couple of days left to enjoy this exhibit located in the hall of art in the south hall of the Sharp Museum.

08/27/2026

✨ **Priceless Details: Dawn C. Murtaugh’s “So Below”** ✨

Sometimes you have to get a little closer to truly appreciate the art. 📸

**Emma Watychowicz**, an SIU photography student, captures the incredible detail in another piece from **Dawn C. Murtaugh’s *As Above, So Below and In Between* quilt collection**. This close-up reveals the beauty of the recycled fabrics, intricate stitching, layers, and textures—ordinary materials transformed into something that feels truly priceless.

Dawn’s work reminds us that art can be found in unexpected places, and Emma’s photography gives us an opportunity to see those details in a whole new way.

📍 **Hall of Art | South Hall | Sharp Museum**

Be sure to stop by and experience the collection in person before the exhibit ends!