Digital Storybooks, Wood Sculptures on Display at IWU Galleries

Jan. 21, 2023

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Creative works featuring interactive storytelling and an artist's relationship with wood carving will be featured in Illinois Wesleyan University’s Merwin and Wakeley Galleries, Joyce Eichhorn Ames School of Art and Design, Jan. 23 - March 1.

Works by IWU Assistant Professor of Art Joshua Lowe will be featured in the Merwin exhibit “deLight: Digital Motion Storybooks.” Content will include original stories by Lowe titled “So Big, So Strong” and “A.W.: Artificial Wisdom.” Viewers are able to step within a storybook and be met with messages told through sound and light. Akin to traditional fables, the themes surrounding community, morality and perspective are accessible to viewers of any age. 

“Lowe's exhibit could be considered a contemporary look into how we learn, teach and communicate,” said Carmen Lozar, director of Merwin and Wakeley Galleries. “He has literally created a giant digital book that immerses the viewer into its narrative.”

In Wakeley Gallery, “Incomplete and an Earlier Version” will be on display by Santiago Cal — a study on the artist’s relationship with wood carving and the human figure.

“Although my sculptural practice encompasses a variety of media and subject matter, these two elements have been integral to my art making for over 30 years,” said Cal, who is a professor of art in sculpture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

“Cal uses the age-old craft of wood carving to sculpt the figure. These emotional portraits lead the viewer to think about the individuals depicted and our own extraordinary journey," said Lozar. 

A reception will be held for both exhibits Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. in Wakeley and Merwin Galleries. The reception is free and open to the public.

For more information about the exhibits, visit the Merwin and Wakeley Galleries website.

By MJ Soria '25