KENNESAW, Ga. | Mar 11, 2022

Cynthia Thompson, curator of Kennesaw State University’s Zuckerman Museum of Art, noticed an open space on a wall outside of the KSU president’s office in Kennesaw Hall last year and saw an opportunity. 

After getting approval from the president and working with the facilities department, that formerly bare space has become an alumni artist exhibition gallery. The new gallery joins other pieces of art created by alumni from the museum’s permanent collection that decorate the office space.

“We hope to rotate the gallery two to three times a year with a new artist being featured each semester,” Thompson said. “This provides a wonderful opportunity to highlight the talents of our alumni who have a successful artistic practice or career in the arts.” 

The current installation is a visually stunning display of blue paper butterflies and colorful moths radiating out from a corner of the gallery, as if in flight. They lead viewers’ eyes toward two framed prints of moths created by recent KSU graduate Brandon Huelskamp. Look closely, and there is a playful tiny self portrait of the artist on each of the moths.

“I met Brandon last semester in Dr. April Munson’s capstone course where he was encouraged to create a large-scale installation and several prints for his Capstone Exhibition,” Thompson said. “I found his work to be engaging and a perfect complement to the other works on display in the president's atrium.”

Huelskamp, who graduated in December, said he was pleased to have his work selected to be the first exhibition in the new gallery. The installation of butterflies and moths in flight is called “Put me on display.” The hundreds of individual moths and butterflies are cutout copies of the creatures found in a framed silkscreen print of the same name that is also part of the exhibit.

“The installation represents my personal journey as a queer man on a path to self-acceptance,” Huelskamp said. “This piece celebrates how far I have come in accepting myself as I am and appreciating my life.” 

– Gary Tanner
Photos by Jason Getz

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.