GCCC Mercer Gallery Hosting KU Student Exhibition
[Garden City, KS] March 10, 2026 -- The Mercer Gallery at Garden City Community College (GCCC) is proud to present Visual Arguments, a student exhibition featuring selected works by artists from the University of Kansas (KU) Visual Art Department on view from March 10 through April 2, 2026.
Curated by Michael McCaffery, Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator at KU, the exhibition showcases the creative achievements of more than 20 students, including traditional sculpture and painting, as well as experimental installations and ephemeral, experience-based works.
The title Visual Arguments reflects the ways artists use form, material, process, and imagery to make claims, pose questions, and take positions, without relying solely on words. Each artwork functions as a proposition: an invitation to look closely, consider multiple perspectives, and engage in critical dialogue through visual means. Faculty members were asked to nominate a few students from each program in the Visual Arts Department, creating diverse and complex showcases of what each program offers.
Hosting this exhibition at a community college is a vital opportunity to create meaningful exchange between university and community college students. By bringing KU student work to the Mercer Gallery, the exhibition builds a bridge between institutions, fostering conversations about ideas, methods of making, and creative research. Through this collaboration, GCCC art students and KU art students analyze together, share, change feedback, and ask questions across disciplines, creating opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, and future academic growth.
A closing reception will be held on Wednesday, April 1, from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m., featuring Michael McCaffery and select KU student artists. The event provides the public with an opportunity to meet the artists, view the works firsthand, and engage with others interested in contemporary visual art.
Additionally, on Thursday, April 2, 2026, McCaffery and select KU painting students will host a plein air painting workshop and artist talk from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the art classrooms of the Joyce Fine Arts Building. Space for the workshop is limited; interested participants should RSVP to Michael Knutson at michael.knutson@gcccks.edu.
The Mercer Gallery, located in the Pauline Joyce Fine Arts Building at GCCC, is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information, please contact Gallery Director Michael Knutson at michael.knutson@gcccks.edu.
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