John Buck artwork Prints and Sculpture

On January 26, the Galleries at the Herron School of Art and Design at IUPUI will open two exhibitions featuring more than 30 works of art by Montana-based printmaker and sculptor John Buck, as well as 48 prints from the American Abstract Artists’ 75th Anniversary Print Portfolio and 25 monoprints created by members of the organization in 2019.

‘John Buck: Prints and Sculpture from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation’

More than 30 works of art by John Buck, a nationally renowned Montana-based printmaker and sculptor, will be on display in Herron’s Berkshire, Reese, and Paul Galleries through April 26 in “John Buck: Prints and Sculpture from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation.”

Buck’s carving mastery and unconventional printmaking techniques, such as drawing on the surface of the wood with a variety of tools, are highlighted, as is his distinct visual language, which he has developed over a decades-long practice. Visitors to the galleries will be prompted to reflect on issues such as greed, war, racism, sexism, and environmental degradation through the artist’s socio-politically charged works, which layer art history, contradicting ideologies, nature, world history, current events, and popular American culture.

“John Buck loves wood: whether it is a sculpture or woodprint, no artist does it better,” Jordan D. Schnitzer, president of Harsch Investment Properties, as well as The Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation and the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, said. “Artists are always chroniclers of our time and John follows that tradition. His images at first seem lovely and innocuous but look closely and you find the strongest political imagery possible. The environment, war, social injustice, gender inequality – these are all the themes John constantly explores.

The traveling exhibition, organized by the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation and the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, features a comprehensive body of work, including five wood sculptures and 26 woodblock prints dating from 1980 to 2016.

“John Buck: Prints and Sculpture from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation” premiered in January 2020 at Willamette University’s Hallie Ford Museum of Art in Salem, Oregon, and traveled to Fredonia State University of New York in August 2021. Herron’s presentation is the exhibition’s first appearance in the Midwest and is made possible in part by Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation.

Visitor information

Herron’s exhibitions are free and open to the public at Eskenazi Hall, 735 W. New York St. Virtual tours of the exhibitions will be made available online. Visit HerronGalleries.org for more information on the exhibitions, virtual tours, and upcoming gallery events. Group tours can be scheduled by emailing hgallery@iupui.edu or calling 317-278-9410.

Visitors to campus are required to wear face masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status, for the health and safety of the IU community.

Parking is free in the Sports Complex Garage next to Eskenazi Hall or on levels 5 and 6 of the Riverwalk Garage, courtesy of The Great Frame Up in Indianapolis and Carmel, with validation from the galleries.

About the Herron Galleries

Since 2005, the Galleries at the Herron School of Art and Design at IUPUI have served as a vibrant site of exploration, participation and learning. Herron’s galleries continue to be an innovative educational forum for diverse audiences by providing direct and meaningful encounters with art and artists through a wide range of curatorial projects and public programming.