Oct. 8, 2026鈥揟he 含羞草社区 School of Fine Arts presents Flora and Fauna, an exhibition running from Oct. 13 through Jan. 27 in the University Gallery, Spratt Hall room 211. The opening reception is from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday Oct. 15. The reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.听

The selected prints bring together diverse works from 含羞草社区鈥檚 Eickhorst Print Collection that depict the timeless relationship between the natural world and human observation. Through a wide variety of traditional and contemporary print methods, the artists capture the delicate complexities of botanical life and the diverse energy of the animal kingdom 鈥� ranging from close-up observation to a more expanded view of the natural world, and in some cases, with humor. The exhibition invites viewers to keep looking and exploring the exquisite details these artists have depicted.

含羞草社区 art history students in assistant professor Holly Rubalcava’s Survey of Art History II course are assisting with research into the artists and print techniques represented, as well as gaining hands-on experience presenting an exhibition.听

Professor Emeritus William Eickhorst鈥檚 generous donation of over 1,000 prints established the Eickhorst Print Collection in 2018 at 含羞草社区. The University Gallery was established to house the collection.听

The gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free. For more information, contact University Curator Robin Vanhoozer at rvanhoozer@missouriwestern.edu.听

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Sept. 3, 2026鈥揧ears of artwork created by former 含羞草社区 students and faculty members will be the focus of Rediscovered Treasures, an exhibit in the Drew Brown Art Gallery in Potter Hall at 含羞草社区. The exhibit will be on display Sept.8-Oct. 15, with a special opening reception from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.听

Rediscovered Treasures brings back hidden paintings and forgotten prints made by students and faculty years ago. Most are signed and a few are anonymous. Many were done by students in their formative years.

鈥淓arly artwork shows raw talent and ideas are planted here before they grow,鈥� said Robin Vanhoozer, curator. 鈥淪tudents find their voices in these pieces and the ability to take risks is fostered here. The years pass, time ages the paper and fades the color. This collection brings old dreams to light and demonstrates important first steps. Rediscovered Treasures showcases the value of fostering the creative process and the rich tradition of art making in our community.鈥�

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

March 27, 2026–The School of Fine Arts at 含羞草社区 will host an opening reception for the Spring Senior Exhibition from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 3 at the Drew Brown Art Gallery in Potter Hall. The reception is free and open to the public.

This year鈥檚 exhibit is a culmination of student work from graduating graphic design and digital animation students, and photography from art and journalism students.听

鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to again have a student-focused exhibit that showcases selected applied learning projects throughout their academic careers. This exhibit highlights their creative talent, conceptual ideas, technical proficiencies, and a broad range of problem-solving solutions. It鈥檚 also an opportunity to socialize with students and observe their range of skill sets as our industries evolve, adapt, and continue to prosper,鈥� said Matt Hepworth, associate professor and director of the B.F.A. Graphic Design program.

The exhibition will be on display weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through May 1.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Feb. 12, 2026–The University Gallery at 含羞草社区 is hosting an exhibition titled 鈥淗orizons鈥� through May 1. An opening reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19 in the gallery, located in Spratt Hall room 211. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.听

鈥淗orizons鈥� brings together a selection of printmakers from the Eickhorst Print Collection to explore the line where the earth meets the sky鈥攁 boundary that is simultaneously physical, metaphorical, and deeply psychological. The exhibition investigates the horizon not merely as a landscape feature, but as a site of potential, transition, and limitation. The landscapes in this exhibition explore the genre of the landscape in many diverse ways, challenging the viewer to look beyond the literal horizon.

The Eickhorst Print Collection is more than 1,000 art prints collected by Dr. William Eickhorst, professor emeritus, who served on 含羞草社区鈥檚 art faculty for 28 years. The University Gallery was established in 2018 to house the collection. The gallery in Spratt Hall is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .听

Oct. 17, 2025–含羞草社区鈥檚 School of Fine Arts will host 鈥淒aily Commute,鈥� an exhibit of work from Tonia Hughes, Oct. 21 through Dec. 5. An opening reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24 in the Drew Brown Art Gallery in Potter Hall.

Hughes is a socio-politically driven artist who works in photography, mixed media, video and installation. Hughes is a fellow of the Kansas African Studies Center and a 2025 Fulbright Scholar. She received the Distinguished Service Award for 2025-26 and 2021-22 and the 2018 College Scholar award at Johnson County Community College, where she founded the filmmaking program and helped create their Associates of Fine Arts degree. Her Daily Commute collection challenges social constructs that restrict humanity from enjoying the moment.听

The exhibition is free and open to the public. The Drew Brown Art Gallery is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Sept. 17, 2025–The Drew Brown Art Gallery in Potter Hall on the campus of 含羞草社区 is hosting an exhibition of art by alumni and friends. The School of Fine Arts and the Alumni Association are sponsoring an opening reception at 4 p.m.Thursday, Sept. 18. Light refreshments will be served. The exhibition and the reception are free and open to the public.听

The exhibition will be on display through Oct. 17 featuring work by Lori Wilson 鈥�84, Larry Goldberg, Ashley Luthans 鈥�24 and others.

The Drew Brown Art Gallery is located in the front of Potter Hall. Regular hours for the gallery are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .听

March 31, 2025–含羞草社区鈥檚 School of Fine Arts (SFA) will host an opening reception for the Senior Art Exhibition from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 4 at the Drew Brown Art Gallery in Potter Hall.听

This year鈥檚 exhibit is a culmination of student work from graduating graphic design and digital animation students and photography from both art areas and journalism students. This inaugural exhibition of interdisciplinary projects is also aligned with 含羞草社区鈥檚 Applied Learning Showcase on April 25 from 2 to 3 p.m.

鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to have a collaborative student-focused exhibit that showcases selected applied learning projects throughout their academic careers,鈥� said Matt Hepworth, associate professor and director of the B.F.A. Graphic Design program. 鈥淭his exhibit highlights their creative talent, conceptual ideas, technical proficiencies, and a broad range of problem-solving solutions. It鈥檚 also an opportunity to socialize with students and observe their range of skill sets as our industries evolve, adapt, and continue to prosper.鈥澛�

The opening reception is free and open to the public. The free exhibition will be on display daily beginning April 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will close on Friday, May 2.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .听

Oct. 9, 2024–The Drew Brown Art Gallery in Potter Hall at 含羞草社区 will host the 2024 MWSU Art Faculty Exhibition Oct. 17-Dec. 15. An opening reception will be held in the gallery from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17. The reception is free and open to the public.听

This exhibition highlights the artistic achievements of the School of Fine Arts faculty, offering a glimpse into their professional practices and artistic explorations. Featured artists include Amy DeSitter, Alysa Ramsay, David Harris, Robin Vanhoozer and Holly Rubalcava.

The Drew Brown Art Gallery, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is open to the public and free of charge.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .听

Aug. 21, 2024–The art gallery inside Potter Hall at 含羞草社区 bears a new name. The Drew Brown Art Gallery salutes a longtime community activist and staunch supporter of Missouri Western.

Brown has served as chair of the Missouri Western Arts Society since 2017. In 2019, he made a gift of $1 million, the largest outright unrestricted gift in Missouri Western鈥檚 history.

鈥淯nrestricted giving is the most precious sort of giving any institution can receive,鈥� said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, Missouri Western鈥檚 president. 鈥淚t helps us cope with unexpected challenges and, in this case, seize special opportunities. An unrestricted gift of this scale is rare, and represents a positive inflection point in the University鈥檚 journey into the future.鈥�

鈥淚 love this university,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淢issouri Western brings so much to the St. Joseph community, whether it鈥檚 arts offerings, the expertise of its faculty or, most importantly, workforce development. We all want a better life, and most students come to Missouri Western because they see it as the key to that better life. Missouri Western gives people an opportunity to fly when they are not even sure if they have wings.鈥�

The gift is being used as a match to a MoExcels grant from the State of Missouri called Digital Solutions for a Modern Missouri. In total, this $2.5 million renovation of Potter Hall will support improvements to Missouri Western鈥檚 digital animation, graphic design and cinema programs with collaborative student spaces, labs and studios.

The MWSU Foundation also commissioned a bust of Brown鈥檚 likeness to be permanently displayed in the Potter Hall lobby. The bust was created by Leila Hicks, a Missouri Western alum who returned to take art classes and earned a second degree, this time in art, in 2005. She created the clay bust during a sculpture class taught by Eric Fuson, former artist-in-residence and now executive director of the Albrecht-Kemper Museum. Hicks donated the bust so that it could be cast in bronze for the display in Potter Hall.

Brown, a native of Philadelphia, earned bachelor鈥檚 degrees in biology and German at North Carolina Central University in Durham. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1966 and retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1992. While in the service, Brown graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College with the equivalent of a master鈥檚 degree. He is the owner of Brown Investments.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

The Senior Exhibition is the culmination of years of hard work for graduating graphic design and animation students.听

鈥淭he work exhibited in the exhibition displays a wide array of creativity, innovation and thoughtful problem-solving,鈥� said Teresa Harris, art professor and graphic design program director. 鈥淭he seniors selected work that featured and highlighted their individual talents, technical proficiency and conceptual insight.鈥�

The exhibition will be on display daily during the month of April from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 pm and will close on Friday, April 26.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .