Eric Dean Gallery
2024-2025 Exhibition Schedule
Fine Arts Center | Wabash College | Monday - Friday 9-5pm | Saturday 2-6pm
Free and open to the public | Closed during Wabash College breaks
Imagining Balance Amid Chaos & Harmony
Gregory Huebner Paintings 1974–2024
September 6–November 16, 2024
Gallery Reception: Friday, September 6, 2024
Gregory Huebner, Ritual #26, 2021, 60"x48", Acrylic on Canvas
EXHIBITION STATEMENT
Since the early 1970s, Gregory Huebner has been on a quest to capture the essence of human balance through a diverse range of abstract expressionist techniques. His commitment to "making visible the unseen" is evident in his body of work, which skillfully bridges gestural and color field abstraction. This retrospective exhibition showcases Huebner's remarkable ability to convey vibrant colors, dynamic compositions, musical qualities, and a profound connection to the spiritual beliefs of Native American cultures. Through his paintings, Huebner delves into the intricate tapestry of human emotions and the perpetual pursuit of equilibrium in a tumultuous world.
Gregory Huebner is not just an accomplished artist, but he has also left an indelible mark as an educator. With a history of 32 solo exhibitions, over 80 group and juried exhibitions, and numerous accolades, his impact on the art community is undeniable. Moreover, his works can be found in 33 public collections and numerous private collections across the Midwest. Even after retiring from academia in 2011, Huebner has continued to expand his remarkable oeuvre as the corporate artist-in-residence at Virtusa in Indianapolis. As a professor and founder of Wabash College's Art Department, Huebner played a pivotal role in establishing the Wabash College Collection of Contemporary Art in 1979, solidifying his commitment to nurturing creativity within the liberal arts. Wabash College honored his achievements in 2010 by naming the permanent collection gallery after him to honor his enduring legacy.
This exhibition serves as a tribute to Gregory Huebner's illustrious painting career, offering a transformative experience for those who engage with his work. By visualizing the ecstasies and absurdities of life, his art invites viewers to contemplate their own journey and discover a sense of inner balance amidst a world of beauty and chaos.
This exhibit is curated by:
Jonas Akers ’24
Owen Bennet ’24
Lucas Budler ’25
Connor Grimes ’26
Min Heo ’27
Jacob Monninger ’24
Benjamin Weaver ’26
A free catalogue featuring essays by Dr. Hipólito Rafael Chacón, Dr. Elizabeth Morton, and Wabash College student curators will accompany the exhibition, providing further insight into Huebner's profound artistic journey.
OPENING SPRING 2025
RESTORING HOPE, RESTORING TRUST
ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE SOLO EXHIBITION
AMEN
Contemporary quilts and works on paper by Julian Jamaal Jones
January 23–April 12, 2025
Julian Jamaal Jones, Dear Heavenly Father, Please Wash Away My Sins, Quilt, 60”x71”, 2023.
Julian Jamaal Jones, Untitled Quilt, 52”x 39”, 2022.
Gallery Reception with Artist: Wednesday, January 22, 2025, 4-5:30pm
Lunchtime Artist Lecture: TBD
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Julian Jamaal Jones is a multidisciplinary artist and educator born and raised in Indianapolis, IN. Jones memorializes Black culture by presenting fresh perspectives while presenting creative freedom within traditional landscapes. His unique practice communicates through the historical language of African American quilting tradition by implementing abstract forms and vibrant colors in his works to bypass the preconceptions and open conversations around his Black experience.
Jones received his Bachelor's degree in Photography in 2020 from the Herron School of Art + Design (Indianapolis, IN) and a Master’s in Photography in 2022 from Cranbrook Academy of Art (Bloomfield Hills, MI), under the tutelage of Chris Fraser. Julian was selected to participate in the Black Mountain Active Archive Residency in 2024, the recipient of the CICF Artist Travel Ambassador Grant in 2023, awarded ArtsConnect “Artist to Watch” in 2022, the recipient of the 2022 Playground Emerging Artist fellowship, supported by the Knight Foundation and the recipient of the prestigious Museum Purchase
Award from Cranbrook Art Museum in 2022. Forthcoming art exhibitions include Common Threads a group exhibition at Blue Spiral 1 Gallery (2024), “AMEN” a solo exhibition at the Eric Dean Gallery at Wabash College (2025), and Will Be King a solo exhibition at the Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum (2025). Jones’s works are in the permanent textile collections of Cranbrook Art Museum (Bloomfield Hills, MI), Richmond Art Museum (Richmond, IN) and The Book Tower Detroit (Detroit, MI).
Artist Statement
A line runs from my art practice through the nurturing practices of my great grandmother, the family quilter. Grandma Elsie not only constructed colorful, elegant, and sophisticated quilts for her eight children, she also made garments for everyday wear. From her I inherited an appreciation for quilting, fashion, and art.
I grew up in a strict, Christian household on the northside of Indianapolis, in a predominantly white neighborhood. Raised in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, I learned the value of the Black community. But surrounded by whiteness, I dealt with loneliness and social anxiety. I didn’t want to be seen or identified by my white peers. After school, I would recuperate by watching 106 & Park on B.E.T. Watching videos of Lil’Kim, Missy Elliot, Crime Mob, and Lil Wayne, I witnessed people who looked like me. 106 & Park introduced me to Black hip-hop culture, which influences all aspects of my practice.
I best express myself through sketching. My drawings are colorful, abstract, gestural, and ultimately unexplainable. Even I can’t quite comprehend what comes out of my sketchbook. Due to my learning disability, drawing has been my most direct form of communication. I approach the making of quilts as a sketching process, working quickly to creatively process the sense of alienation that comes from being a Black man in white spaces.
2025 Senior ART Exhibition
April 26 – May 17, 2025
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 26, 4:00 – 5:30pm
This exhibition is a critical final rite of passage for the talented artists who have dedicated their academic focus to the visual arts.
Gregory J. Huebner Gallery
The Gregory J. Huebner Gallery is located in the Randolph H. Deer Fine Wing in the Fine Arts Center. The Huebner Gallery features a rotating exhibition of works from the Wabash permanent collection and is open during building hours.
Questions and Inquiries can be sent to stradera@wabash.edu
Contact stradera@wabash.edu to schedule field trips.