McDonough Museum to open fall season with four dynamic exhibitions

The McDonough Museum of Art has announced that it will open its fall schedule with four dynamic exhibitions by visiting artists Arron Foster, Michael Boyd Roman, Justin Sorensen, and Emerging Artist Aislinn Janek. 

Foster’s “In_A_Sense” reflects his interest in how people conceptualize places. Each of his projects involves an intuitive, research-based approach to observing, studying, and documenting specific locations in the hope of creating a dialogue between himself and his viewers that provides an opportunity for the shared exploration and interpretation of places.

Foster currently works as an assistant professor of art at Kent State University at Stark. He received his B.F.A. in printmaking and art education from East Carolina University, and his M.F.A. in printmaking and book arts from the University of Georgia.

Roman’s “Negus Weighting” portrays the ordinary grace of contemporary Black men by blending elements of hip-hop and urban culture with art history and religious iconography. His work portrays contemporary images that are positive and spiritual to counter long held historical narratives that are applied to modern representations of Black masculinity.

Originally from Georgia, Roman works as an assistant professor of design and black visual cultures at Oberlin College & Conservatory. He has also worked as a K-12 art educator and was the Visual Arts program director at Morehouse College.

Roman will present a lecture as part of the Department of Art Lecture Series Wednesday, October 15, at 5:30 PM at the McDonough.

Sorensen’s “June 13th” is an exhibition of work that draws from the format of Chinese handscroll. Handscroll plays on the experience of journeying through a landscape, where the foreground, middle ground, and background are continuously moving in and out of focus. “June 13th” emphasizes the aspect of handscroll that allows viewers to understand the composition as they move through each image, considering how recent technological developments shape our understanding of the world.

Sorensen is an Ohio-based artist who works across numerous mediums and visual traditions. His work has been featured in exhibitions both nationally and internationally, including New York, Washington D.C., Russia, and Canada.

Aislinn Janek, the McDonough Museum’s 2025 Emerging Artist, will present “Landscape as a Form of Knowledge.” This exhibit explores how the physical world becomes a repository of human perception and meaning. The works invite viewers to see the act of making itself as a form of knowing, a slow, attentive practice that navigates the tension between order and disarray, and clarity and obscurity.

Janek’s art examines the material language of painting, sewing, and memory. Since 2014, she has lived and traveled extensively throughout Europe. She holds a B.A. in communication studies with minors in fine art and psychology from YSU.

Janek will present an artist's lecture Wednesday, September 17, at 5:30 PM at the McDonough.

An opening reception for all four exhibits will be held Friday, September 5, from 5:00 – 7:00 PM. The exhibits will be open to the public beginning Tuesday, September 2, through Saturday, October 25.

The McDonough Museum of Art is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Parking is available in the Wick Avenue Deck (M30) for a $5 fee payable in cash only. Entry to the reception and exhibits is free and open to the public.