Eureka College Kicks Off 2026 Exhibition Season with Alumni Artist Max Martin
EUREKA, IL. - Eureka College will open its 2026 exhibition season with Pieces of Me, a solo exhibition by Eureka College alum Max Martin. The exhibition will be on view from February 6 through March 13, with a public reception on Wednesday, February 12, from 5–7 p.m. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Martin, a Peoria transplant who grew up in the rural cornfields of Champaign, earned degrees in Art and Social Psychology from Eureka College before completing a Master of Arts in Studio Art at Eastern Illinois University. Pieces of Me expand on the body of work he began during his master’s program, showcasing both personal growth and an evolving artistic process.
The exhibition centers on a transformative approach Martin developed while completing his graduate thesis. Working from plein-air landscape paintings created over nine months, Martin began cutting into his canvases, removing negative space to emphasize lines, shapes, and gestures. He then layered and reassembled fragments from multiple paintings to create entirely new, imagined landscapes.
“The transformation of these assemblages was a moment of catharsis and coalescence,” Martin said of the process. “After a frustrating year of trying to find my artistic language, this method allowed me to release what was holding me back and move toward something more honest and personal.”
Three foundational works from his master’s exhibition Blakeman (Bridge), Embarras River #1, and Embarras River #2 directly influenced the new pieces featured in Pieces of Me. Some works were created using stencils derived from the originals, while others incorporate scraps of cut canvas, giving physical form to themes of fragmentation and reconstruction.
For Martin, the act of cutting and reassembling is deeply symbolic. He connects earlier works to the concept of “ambiguous loss,” a term coined by researcher Pauline Boss to describe grief that cannot be fully resolved or traditionally mourned. His newer work represents a reframing, an emergence shaped by acknowledging grief, understanding it, and reshaping personal reality.
“These pieces are an emergence of me,” Martin explains. “An emergence of growth and possibility.”
In addition to his gallery work, Martin currently has artwork featured in Peoria’s public art initiative, the Banners and Boxes Beautification Program, which showcases local artists throughout the city’s downtown area.
The Eureka College exhibition is free and open to the public. Community members, students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to attend the February 12 reception and experience this powerful and personal collection.
For more information about the exhibition or gallery hours, please contact Professor Alex Martin at amartin@eureka.edu.
About Eureka College
Located on nearly 70 wooded acres in Eureka, Illinois, and chartered in 1855, Eureka College cultivates excellence in learning, service, and leadership while providing students uniquely personalized educational opportunities. Eureka College holds the unique distinction of being the first college in Illinois—and among the first in the nation—to admit men and women on an equal basis. The College, originally founded by abolitionist members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is the smallest of only 24 colleges and universities to ever award a bachelor’s degree to a future President of the United States.
