Eleven artists from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Art & Design explore the relationship between people and place in a new exhibition at Krannert Art Museum. Titled “Another Place: Storymaking the Entangled Prairie,” the show opens January 29 and runs through July 2, featuring sculpture, installation, photography, printmaking, video, and performance. Curated by art history professor Terri Weissman, the exhibition is tied to the Humanities Research Institute’s 2025-26 theme “Story and Place.” Works include Ryan Griffis’s multimedia project on the Illinois River Valley, Stephen Signa-Avilés’s wearable sculptural assemblage “The Recollector,” and Melissa Pokorny’s prairie-inspired installation.
The exhibition matters because it highlights how stories shape our understanding of landscapes and communities, particularly in the context of the American prairie and Central Illinois. By connecting faculty research and creative practice with a broader humanities theme, the show demonstrates the role of art in environmental and cultural storytelling. It also underscores the value of university art museums in fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and supporting local artistic talent.