UNI Gallery of Art to present the 2024 Elena Diane Curris Biennial Design Exhibition

UNI Gallery of Art to present the 2024 Elena Diane Curris Biennial Design Exhibition

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa Gallery of Art will present “Alumni Spotlight: Diverse Perspectives in Graphic Design” for this year’s Elena Diane Curris Biennial Design Exhibition, which will open Oct. 10 and remain on display through Nov. 15. The exhibition will feature work by UNI Department of Art alumni, faculty and students.

This is the third iteration of the exhibition, named after Elena Diane Curris (1977-2015), daughter of former University of Northern Iowa president Constantine (Deno) Curris and Jo Hern Curris. The exhibition was first presented in the fall of 2018.

Elena lived in Cedar Falls and attended the UNI Price Laboratory School during the years her father was university president. She was deeply interested in design. The long-term support for this series is made possible by a generous endowment from Elena’s family and is supplemented by additional contributions from friends and others who wish to promote the excellence of the graphic design program at UNI.

The gallery will host an opening reception on Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. following a public program awards, and a design panel at UNI’s Kamerick Art Building, room 111.

Exhibitors in the main gallery include:

  • Jill Paisley: a 2004 UNI Department of Art graduate and Owner/Creative Director at Luckythirteen Design in Dubuque.
  • Sarah Steil: a 1996 UNI Department of Art graduate and Co-Founder/Brand Strategist of BTD Brand in Minneapolis.
  • Stephanie Mathena: a 2015 UNI Department of Art graduate and owner at Etta | Design Studio brand + web design studio in Minneapolis.
  • Luke Vaughn: a 2010 UNI Department of Art graduate and Iowa-based Senior Brand Manager at Bluespace Creative.

Elena Diane Curris

Current UNI graphic design students exhibiting in the Gallery Showcases include:

  • Dylan Lundquist, Senior, Osceola, Iowa
  • Megan Anderson, Senior, Fort Dodge, Iowa
  • Chloe Russell, Senior, Glenwood, Iowa
  • Sam Benson, Senior, Walford, Iowa

All events are free and open to the public. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or by appointment. The gallery is located on the main floor of UNI’s Kamerick Art Building South.