Weatherspoon Art Museum at UNCG opens two exhibitions

"Art on Paper" transforms an everyday material while "Body and Soul" explores the experiences that connect us

GREENSBORO, N.C., Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- What can you do with paper? Build a massive city from $32,404 worth of losing lottery tickets. Create a suit of armor. Cut, fold and mold it into something almost unrecognizable.

Those are among the works visitors can experience in two new exhibitions at the Weatherspoon Art Museum at UNC Greensboro (UNCG), where "Art on Paper 2026: The 48th Exhibition," opening Aug. 29, joins "Body and Soul, Humanist Visual Languages," a 35-work exhibition exploring identity, memory and the human experience.

"These exhibitions offer something for everyone to discover," said Juliette Bianco, associate vice chancellor for museums and creative practice and Anne and Ben Cone Memorial Endowed Director. "'Art on Paper' takes a material we encounter every day and transforms it in unexpected ways, while 'Body and Soul' invites us to connect works of art with our own experiences and those of others. You don't have to be an art expert. Come in, look closely and see what speaks to you."

Art on Paper returns for its 48th exhibition

For nearly five decades, "Art on Paper" has showcased artists who push the boundaries of what can be created with paper. This year's exhibition features 15 contemporary artists working across a range of techniques, including cutting, folding, molding, collage and large-scale construction.

Among the exhibition's largest works is Jean Shin's "Chance City," an approximately 7-by-21-by-10-foot cityscape constructed without adhesive from discarded losing "Scratch & Win" lottery tickets worth $32,404.

Other works include Susan Hamburger's armor made from molded paper pulp and works that transform paper through intricate cutting, folding and layering. Several participating artists have North Carolina ties, including Jerstin Crosby of Winston-Salem, Ingrid Erickson of Salisbury, Kirk Fanelly of Charlotte and Kasia Ozga of Greensboro.

The exhibition continues a tradition that has helped shape the Weatherspoon's collection. Following each "Art on Paper" exhibition, the museum considers works for acquisition into its Dillard Collection of Art on Paper. Today, the collection includes approximately 600 works by artists including Robert Smithson, Louise Bourgeois, Lee Krasner, Julie Buffalohead, Nate Lewis, Sherrill Roland and Saya Woolfalk.

"Art on Paper 2026: The 48th Exhibition" is organized by Emily Stamey, Elizabeth McIver Weatherspoon Curator of Academic Programming and Head of Exhibitions, and runs through April 18, 2027.

Body and Soul brings together 35 works from the Weatherspoon collection

"Body and Soul, Humanist Visual Languages" brings together 35 works from the Weatherspoon's collection, including photographs, paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture and mixed-media works. The exhibition explores experiences that are both deeply personal and widely shared, from identity and memory to care and vulnerability, and invites visitors to explore the experiences that connect us as people.

That idea gives the exhibition its name. "Body" refers to what can be seen in the works themselves, while "Soul" reflects the memories, emotions and lived experiences they can evoke.

Among the works on view is Leslie Fry's "Release," from the series "Holding On," a sculpture of hands draped over the edge of a black pedestal — a gesture the artist has described as capturing the impulse to hold on when things feel uncertain.

Other featured artists include Allan Rohan Crite, Paul Hartley, Mark Messersmith, Natalie Frank, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Norman Akers and artist collaborative MANUAL.

"Body and Soul, Humanist Visual Languages" was developed to complement the forthcoming Cole Levin Center for Art and Human Understanding at the Weatherspoon, a new campus and community facility dedicated to exploring the role of visual art in fostering reflection, dialogue and understanding. The exhibition is organized by Elaine D. Gustafson, curator of collections and head of facilities at the Weatherspoon.

The Weatherspoon Art Museum is located at 1005 Spring Garden St. on the UNCG campus. Admission and parking are free. "Body and Soul, Humanist Visual Languages" runs through Feb. 13, 2027.

About the Weatherspoon Art Museum

Founded in 1941, the Weatherspoon Art Museum at UNC Greensboro is the earliest art facility in the UNC system, with six galleries and a sculpture courtyard spanning more than 17,000 square feet of exhibition space. The museum maintains a longstanding focus on modern and contemporary art. Its permanent collection of nearly 7,000 works includes the Claribel and Etta Cone Collection, with pieces by Henri Matisse and other American and European modernists, as well as significant works by artists including Willem de Kooning, Alexander Calder, Elizabeth Catlett, Gordon Parks, Cindy Sherman and Betye Saar, representing major art movements from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. These works are regularly loaned to major exhibitions nationally and internationally. The Weatherspoon uses art to impact lives, connect communities and serve as a resource for the UNCG campus and region. Learn more at weatherspoonart.org.

About UNCG

UNCG is a diverse, learner-centered public research university with over 19,000 students enrolled in more than 150 undergraduate and 200 graduate programs. Recognized nationally for academic excellence, access and affordability, UNCG is ranked No. 1 in North Carolina for affordability by The New York Times, as well as No. 1 in North Carolina and No. 13 nationally for social mobility by U.S. News & World Report. Designated an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, UNCG advances research, creative activity and community engagement that expands opportunity, drives economic impact and strengthens workforce partnerships across North Carolina. For more information, visit uncg.edu.

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SOURCE University of North Carolina Greensboro