All That Matters: Exhibition Featuring Krista Brand, Chelsea Jacobs & David Janssen Jr.
About the event
Washington State University’s Department of Art will present All That Matters, a group exhibition exploring how materials shape meaning in contemporary art. The exhibition features work by Chelsea Jacobs, David Janssen, Jr., and Krista Brand, three artists who transform collected and repurposed materials into powerful statements about personal history and cultural memory.
Opening Monday, August 18, the exhibition showcases painting, fiber, and installation works that reveal the stories embedded in everyday objects and materials. Each artist responds to personal histories and cultural moments through their innovative use of transformed materials, creating works that simultaneously honor origins while pointing toward new possibilities.
“We live in a world of things that tell stories all around us,” the artists note in their collective statement. “Think of the nostalgia of an old game console, or the softness of a favorite blanket, maybe the familiarity of the cold texture of bathroom tiles, or the crinkle of a reused plastic bag.” The exhibition examines how form and material create what is known as materiality in art—where materials impact the implied purpose, information, feeling, and expression of the artwork.
The works in All That Matters make use of a variety of materials and objects to convey stories, reveal layers, and sometimes conceal precious items. Through painting, fiber arts, and installation, these pieces demonstrate how materiality functions as both archaeological evidence and creative catalyst, showing traces of where things might have come from while rendering the potential for something new or unexpected.
A panel discussion featuring all three artists will take place on Thursday, September 4, at 4:30 PM in the Art Building Auditorium, followed immediately by an opening reception with snacks in Gallery 2 at 5:30 PM. Both events are free and open to the public.
Gallery 2 is located within the Fine Arts Center at WSU Pullman and serves as a contemporary art space showcasing work by regional, national, and international artists. The gallery’s programming reflects the university’s commitment to diverse perspectives and practices in the visual arts.