Emergence

Featured Artists: Sydney Caldwell, Colleen Simard, Sharyn Gutierrez, Mae Desmond, Margot Morrish and Maria Martin, to exhibit new work at Graffiti Gallery  

Showcasing six recent U of M fine art graduates, Emergence brings together a diverse range of artworks created by the artists during their time at the U of M School of Fine Arts. 

Emergence brings together six contemporary artists whose practices delve into identity, memory, environment, and transformation. Through painting, mixed media, found objects, digital manipulation, and installation, their work explores the complexities of personal and collective experience. Themes of masculinity, migration, consumerism, Indigenous futurism, and emotional landscapes surface through bold visual languages and imaginative storytelling.

Each artist offers a distinct perspective—whether examining gender through surreal classicism, honoring the land with foraged materials, imagining Indigenous futures, or reflecting on the emotional weight of personal possessions. Grounded in material experimentation and cultural memory, these works reach toward the speculative and abstract. Together, they form a rich tapestry of contemporary expression, where vulnerability, connection, and resilience converge.