Two exhibitions from the Principia Collections celebrate cultural tradition and early Principia art history 

ELSAH, IL.—Principia College is presenting two exhibitions from the Principia Collections at Marshall Brooks Library this spring: Inuit Carving: Art, Memory, and Cultural Continuity and Kathryn E. Cherry (1871–1931): Artist, Teacher, and Shaper of Principia’s Early Art Identity. Both exhibits opened February 24, with a public reception held February 26 in Principia’s Marshall Brooks Library. 

Inuit Carving: Art, Memory, and Cultural Continuity, on view in the library’s first-floor West Study Room through March 31, explores the rich tradition of Inuit sculpture. The exhibit features work by contemporary and historic Inuit artists, highlighting how sculpture serves as both an art form and a means of preserving cultural memory and identity across generations. These carvings include subjects ranging from everyday life and family connections to mythology and the natural world. 

A second exhibition, Kathryn E. Cherry (1871–1931): Artist, Teacher, and Shaper of Principia’s Early Art Identity, is displayed in the Marshall Brooks Library Lobby and Third Floor Gallery through April 30. The exhibit celebrates the life and work of Cherry, who became Principia’s second art director in 1915, succeeding Frederick Oakes Sylvester, and shaping the institution’s early artistic vision. 

Cherry first gained national recognition as a ceramics painter before turning to oil painting later in her career. Trained at leading institutions including the Saint Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and the New York School of Art, she developed a vibrant post-impressionist style marked by rich color and expressive brushwork in her still lifes and landscapes. 

Before joining Principia, Cherry studied under noted ceramic artist Adelaide Robineau and earned national recognition for her porcelain painting. Her work received gold medals at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, the Art Institute of Chicago in 1907 and 1911, and the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. 

“These exhibits highlight the richness of the Principia Collections and the stories they hold,” said Edith List, Library Director. “From the cultural traditions reflected in Inuit carving to the artistic legacy of Kathryn E. Cherry, we’re excited to share works that connect art, history, and learning with our campus and the broader community.” 

Both exhibitions are presented by the Principia Collections and are free and open to the public during Marshall Brooks Library hours.