Krannert Art Museum

The Krannert Art Museum at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has acquired new artworks that expand its collection and support research and teaching. Notable pieces include Willem Bartsius' 1632 painting Samson and Delilah, a history painting rare in the museum's collection, Wifredo Lam’s Personnage, highlighting Afro-Cuban influences, and an untitled sculpture by Nick Cave addressing racial stereotypes. These acquisitions broaden the museum’s European, modern, and contemporary holdings, enhancing its focus on diverse artistic narratives.   Read more in the Illinois News Bureau article: "Krannert Art Museum’s new acquisitions expand collection, research and teaching opportunities."

Krannert Art Museum is presenting the first retrospective of contemporary artist Millie Wilson, whose work examines stereotypes and media representations regarding sexuality and gender identity. Her work, often humorous, addresses the erasure of queer identities in art history and subverts pseudoscientific studies that pathologized homosexuality. Many of her key pieces, including Fauve Semblant: Peter (A Young English Girl), are being showcased for the first time since the 1990s.

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"At a time when higher education leaders are facing relentless criticism over their handling of free speech and political protests, 10 university museums have planned nonpartisan shows focused on democracy, with the goal of getting students more engaged. Access to all of the participating museums, all on college campuses, is free. The organizers are hoping that the open nature of the institutions will encourage students to see them as they do libraries or other community spaces: available for their use and usefulness." Read the full story in the New York Times: 10 Campus Museums Shine a Spotlight on Democracy.

The School of Art and Design is seeking funding for a significant renovation and facilities expansion project that will improve student and faculty experience.

Shozo Sato's story is a tale to tell. At age 11, he watched his hometown burn in the waning days of World War II. Nearly 20 years later, he moved to Illinois with his wife, Alice Yoshiko Ogura Sato. As the founder of the Japan House and director emeritus, Sato has built a legacy at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and at ninety years old he is still creating art. Read more in Storied Illinois: Child of War, Man of Peace.