This month, Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Sharp Museum will open an exhibition highlighting works by nationally acclaimed sculptor and SIU School of Art and Design alumnus Preston Jackson, and it will host a reception for two local artists with the Oak Street Art Collective.
“Here We Are,” a celebration of Jackson’s recent works in bronze and paintings, will be in the museum’s Saluki Gallery, from Friday, Dec. 5, to June 26, 2026. An opening reception and gallery talk is from 4-6 p.m. Friday.
Jackson, 81, originally from Decatur, Illinois, now lives in Peoria, where he continues his work. He earned his bachelor’s degree from SIU Carbondale in 1969 and is known for his bronze abstract, figurative work and monumental steel and cast bronze sculptures as well as two-dimensional pieces. He is a professor emeritus of sculpture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and continues to work from his studio in the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria.
“Preston’s show is a monument to the quality of artists who have come through SIU’s School of Art and Design,” said T Lance, the museum’s curator of exhibits. “Preston was even reminiscing about his days at the Glove Factory when I picked up his work. It is also important to share diverse voices and viewpoints during this pivotal time in history. I believe his work will challenge viewers to use their critical thinking skills.”
The exhibition includes 17 paintings and nine sculptures.
Jackson’s work includes “Fresh From Julieanne’s Garden,” which has been on exhibit for more than 20 years, along with several public art commissions through the state’s Illinois Capital Development Board. His work includes statues of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable and Richard Pryor in Peoria; a Martin Luther King memorial bust in Danville, Illinois, and “Let’s Play Two,” a bronze relief of Ernie Banks for ESPN Zone in Chicago.
Jackson, who holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois, is a 1998 Lincoln Academy of Illinois laureate and received a 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award from the SIU Alumni Association.
As with all exhibitions, the artwork represents the viewpoints of its creators, not SIU. SIU complies with the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act and State Officials and Employees Ethics Act.
Local artists’ reception
A closing reception for a showcase featuring the works of Sue Gindlesparger (metal and jewelry) and Nicki Rathert (textile and weaving) will be from 4-6 p.m. Dec. 12 in the museum’s south hall.
Gindlesparger, an Oak Street Art Collective founder, earned a bachelor’s degree in metalsmithing from SIU Carbondale and became an art instructor at Zeigler-Royalton High School. Rathert, who began weaving in 2016, founded Wander Community Art Studio, a public studio in Du Quoin.
The exhibition in the museum’s Hall of Art is the second of four two-person showings featuring creations by the collective’s artists, leading up to the 10th anniversary of Murphysboro’s Oak Street Art Fair in April 2026.
Museum hours
For more information, contact Lance at 618-453-5388 or t.lance@siu.edu or visit museum.siu.edu. Sharp Museum hours are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1-4 p.m. Saturday. The museum is closed Sunday and Monday, and during all SIU breaks and holidays. Admission to all exhibitions is free.
